30 November 2020 - Aude Desbrieres
Featured in: Market Insights, Intrusion detection, Visual verification
While the criminality rate in general is higher in urban areas, the level of theft in rural community remains high and continues to rise. Farmers, producers, agricultural companies as well as homeowners in rural areas used to suffer from the occasional, opportunistic theft, but they are now being targeted by organised crime, stealing expensive equipment, fuel and livestock.
Agricultural vehicles are getting more sophisticated, featuring expensive GPS devices which unfortunately have become a popular target for thieves. The vehicles themselves are getting stolen for multiple purposes. The most common is to be sold on the black market in the country or out the country, which is easier in mainland Europe with the open borders between countries. In Italy, for example, it is reported that organised criminal groups are stealing vehicles in order to hold owners to ramson. Another reason to steal equipment is to use to perpetrate other crimes, such as breaking through buildings, crashing through shop windows or pulling ATM machines out of the walls.
In the UK, insurance company NFU Mutual reported a 25% increase in value of agricultural vehicle theft in 2018.
Machinery and equipment are not the only target, farm animals are being stolen too. This is a global problem ranging from thieves stealing a couple of sheep, calves etc, to organised gangs stealing truckloads of livestock with some cases showing 100 animals being taken in one go. Such crimes are distressing and put farmers’ livelihood at risks.
Damage is another issue facing the agricultural industry. There have been cases involving Animal Rights Activists, for example, using force to intrude on private land and damage culture or equipment. For instance, over 1,000 intrusions led by activists were recorded last year in France. In many countries, police force is helping the rural community to identify risks and help put measures in place to increase security.
Detecting intrusion on the property and in fields where the livestock is kept, is one of the recommended measures to help prevent theft. OPTEX is pleased to work with a network of security installers who are designing security systems that utilise our outdoor sensors. Many use the benefit of flexibility of wireless systems, connecting our battery operated PIRs and active beams, to wireless alarm systems. These could be self-monitored or centrally monitored with the option to send a security team on site. Other systems combine wireless sensors and access control systems to classify whether the person or vehicle entering the land, farm or field has the right credentials and will raise an alarm if not.
Where access to main power is possible, a system combining our outdoor sensors and cameras give this additional benefit to visually verify what is happening on site. Designed to perform in all kind’s of environment, our sensors will also accommodate wildlife, to ensure relevant intrusions are being reported to the security systems and help avoid nuisance alarms.