NFU Mutual will host a police training day next week with the aim of helping officers tackle rising farm machinery theft.
Police from forces across the Midlands are taking part in the farm and construction equipment training day on Wednesday, June 5, at NFU Mutual’s head office in Tiddington, Warwickshire.
Latest figures from NFU Mutual reveal the estimated cost of rural crime in the Midlands rose by 30.1% to £11 million in 2022.
The training day will provide police officers, PCSOs and staff involved in rural crime detection and prevention with opportunities to learn about the latest crime trends and security measures.
Rural crime experts including vehicle crime specialist at NFU Mutual, Kirsty Hyslop, and DS Chris Piggott, from the NCATT, will cover current threats and latest techniques to protect farm machinery and bring criminals to justice.
There will also be practical demonstrations of security systems being developed to protect expensive farm equipment from determined thieves.
Organisations and companies taking part include NCATT, CESAR machinery marking systems, Hitachi, Clancy and Murphy.
The event has been organised by the Combined Industries Theft Solutions forum (CITS) and will be hosted by the National Construction and Agricultural Theft Team (NCATT).
‘Distressing for farmers’
Vehicle crime specialist Hyslop said rural crime is highly disruptive and distressing for farmers and their families, as well as being costly.
“Our latest figures reveal the estimated cost of rural crime in the Midlands alarmingly shot up 30.1% to £11 million in 2022,” she said.
“The cost of farm theft also increased in the rest of the UK so we need to keep up –to date on the latest trends and security systems to keep these determined criminals at bay.”
CITS chair, Ian Elliot, said: “We’re holding this event to help police forces tackle the organised criminal gangs that are making theft a huge problem for farmers.
“CITS works with police, crime-fighting organisations and machinery manufacturers including Clancy’s, Hitachi and Leica to provide officers with the knowledge and detection techniques to combat rural crime.”
