Criminal activity is always a pressing issue for farmers all year around, it can vary from fly-tipping to theft, however during the winter months these cases often rise due to shorter working days and less daylight.
- Install cameras around the farm; online you will find a range of infrared and Wi-Fi cameras or just long-life recorders. The options are wider, and the quality is better.
- Look into sensory lights or flood lighting, these will alert you if somebody is walking around the farmyard in the dark.
- Never leave keys in farm machinery and always lock up any vehicles. We suggest getting a grip lock fitted, this locks the brakes and makes the vehicle/machinery increasingly hard to steal.
- Do not leave any machinery in sight from the roads or public pathways.
- Quadbikes are a big target to thieves. Keep them locked up when not in use, and look at investing in a GPS tracker.
- Make sure you have recorded all serial numbers for farm machinery/ equipment for reference in case you need to report an incident. We suggest creating an inventory of what you have on the holding, this allows you to keep track of everything, and small items that may go missing will then easily be noticed.
- Every gate should have a lock and be locked every night.
- Use nail polish or sharpies to mark your small tools with your details. This makes items easier to track and trace and will also put potential thieves off taking them.
- Speak to your local police station about using ‘Smartwater’ to mark your tools etc. Some police forces offer small kits for free
