Combating on-farm crime is something that all farmers and landowners should keep in mind, and making efforts to deter criminals, rather than dealing with the aftermath of a break-in or theft, is often the easiest route.
Having up-to-date and adequate on-farm security measures also means you are adhering to insurance rules, should your farm business become a victim of crime.
There are many ways to do this – some more technical than others:
Lock systems
Locks and padlocks come in all shapes and sizes, with prices ranging from £5 to £150.
Better-quality items come with a European CEN standard ranging from one to six in terms of ease or difficulty of overcoming it.
Look out for well-known makes and check whether they are water resistant. There are also padlocks available that sound an alarm if they are tampered with.
The design of the padlock can also make a difference. A hardened shroud makes it difficult to get bolt croppers on to the shackle.
Good padlocks need to be serviced if they are to last, so keep an eye on the condition of those being used on the farm, both inside and out.
Chains and shackles
Research shows that farmers need to upgrade the chains they have traditionally used to secure field gates.
An 8mm chain link is too small, 10-13mm is the norm, and 16mm will stop most thieves. Also, you need 1m of chain per gate to do a proper job of securing them.
Alarm systems
If you want to keep an eye on the farmyard but don’t want to shell out a lot of money on security and spend ages staring at CCTV footage, a driveway alarm could be the answer.
They all do more or less the same thing, which is to set up a beam across a driveway using passive infra-red. If the beam is broken, an alarm or light will go off in the house, workshop or any other buildings.
READ MORE | Rural crime: more organised and sophisticated
Gates, fences and barriers
One of the great traditional things about farms is you can usually drive in, park your car, and go and knock on the front door.
However, with more and more petty thieves and fly-tippers, it is getting increasingly necessary to install some form of gate.
Make sure gates and fences are in good working order and fit for purpose.
Lighting
One of the simplest things you can do is install and maintain good lighting.
Security lights and motion-detected lighting can make a big difference, but make sure your lights are working and functioning properly.
CCTV systems
Digital camera technology is much more affordable and reliable than it used to be. A picture, or even a video, of suspicious activity is valuable evidence. Place your camera somewhere where it will not be noticed by a perpetrator, and set it up so that it captures the angle you want. Consider buying a camera that is motion-detected, which will save on recording time, and the amount of video you need to review if there’s ever an incident.
There are dozens of CCTV systems out there, from big-name companies to small specialists.
Some will do the whole thing for you from start to finish, while others require you to do a bit of work.
Prices can vary, but there is something for all budgets. There are also local CCTV specialists that already deal with farmers who will have experience of farms and will be able to advise you on what best suits your own situation.
Want to do it yourself? Most technology shops and online retailers sell CCTV systems you can set up yourself.
If you are using CCTV as part of your business (as opposed for leisure purposes), then technically you could come under the 1998 Data Protection Act. That means you can’t hide CCTV cameras and should have a sign that says CCTV is being used for the purposes of crime prevention.
You should also ensure that the cameras aren’t pointed at other householders and businesses.
Amateur CCTV footage can be used in a court to secure a conviction, but there should be a clear audit trail to show where the footage has come from and when.
Signage
If you want to restrict access to your property, make sure a sign is posted, and in a highly visible way.
This includes signs about hunting, trespassing, biosecurity, dangerous dogs, etc. A sign can be a good defence, especially if someone chooses to ignore the sign.
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