Sussex farmers get help in cracking down on rural crime
Special kits are being handed out to help them mark out valuable equipment
Farmers and tradespeople across Sussex are being given extra help to protect their equipment from theft.
The county's Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne and the National Farmers Union (NFU) have put funding into distributing 1,000 specialist tools and forensic equipment marking kits.
The kits include a liquid made up of a unique synthetic DNA code and thousands of microscopic identification dots, which dries clear and can only be identified through UV lights and specialist microscopes.
Police can log each marked tool or piece of equipment in a secure register, meaning that, if theft occurs, police are able to identify the stolen goods and reunite them with their owner.
The kits can mark up to 50 pieces of equipment and usually cost around £60 each. However with the funding from PCC Katy Bourne and the NFU, Sussex Police’s Rural Crime Team will be distributing the kits free of charge to farmers throughout the county.
They will also supply and install signage, deterring thieves from entering the land and letting them know that the farm’s equipment and vehicles have been protectively marked.
The kits have already been trialled in the Rother area, where they helped to contribute to a 52.9% reduction in burglaries.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said:
"Stolen machinery and vehicles are not easy or cheap to replace and thefts can mean that farmers are unable to plant, harvest and maintain crops and manage livestock. With rural crime costing the UK over £50 million a year, it was clear we needed to do more to protect Sussex farmers.
“Having previously commissioned a limited rollout of the kits in East Sussex with positive results, I am glad to be able to do this on a much larger scale, working closely with the NFU and Sussex Police’s dedicated Rural Crime Team. It is proven that marking and signage has a deterrent effect as it not only improves the chances of farmers being re-united with their stolen property but also increases the odds of criminals actually being convicted.
“In the coming months, I look forward to hearing how many farms across our county have been given SelectaDNA kits for free and I will work closely with the Chief Constable to scrutinize statistics of rural theft in Sussex. Hopefully, with this modern, forensic equipment marking technology, we will see greater reductions in rural crime.”
NFU West Sussex Chair Andrew Strong, who farms near Haywards Heath, said:
"Equipment theft continues to be a big problem for farmers and growers across Sussex, and across the country, so a scheme like this is very much-needed.
“The reduction in theft and burglary in north Yorkshire, as a result of using these specialist kits, is hugely impressive.
“We were very impressed by what we saw at the demonstration of the specialist kits with Sussex Police last week and feel confident this will make a real impact."
Sussex Police Rural Crime Team lead, Detective Superintendent Jon Robeson, said:
"Crime within our rural and farming communities remains a priority for Sussex Police. Our dedicated Rural Crime Team are committed to making our rural communities a hostile environment for criminals, and will continue to pursue such offenders and ensure a visible policing presence to deter them.
“These marking kits are a vital tactical option and enable our team to support farmers in marking property, which reduces the attractiveness to thieves and increases the chance of recovery and prosecution if stolen.
"In other areas where these have been employed, they have led to significant reductions in burglaries."