Cost of rural crime in NI rises to £3.3m

Large numbers of sheep are also being stolen across the UK with early indications suggesting an increase of 15% on the previous year to April 2020, the NFU Mutual’s annual rural crime survey has revealed.

The meat from many of the stolen animals is believed to be entering the foodchain illegally. In Co Antrim alone, the cost of rural crime has risen 42% since 2018 and last year cost £1.1m.

Despite a rise in the cost of rural crime, the PSNI has reported a slight reduction in the number of actual offences last year.

Martin Malone of NFU Mutual insurance said: “Rural crime is like a wave as organised criminality spreads through our villages, farms and rural towns, affecting everyone in the countryside. We continue to work hard to stem the tide and are warning rural communities and helping with prevention advice, as there are concerns for the months ahead as the economic impact of Coronavirus bites.

The NFU’s manager for Northern Ireland said rural crime can have a serious impact on a victim’s mental health as well as their finances.

“There are fears that the impact will be felt harder this year as farmers have been working flat-out to feed the nation and many rural communities have been put under additional pressure by the challenges brought by Covid-19,” he said.

Mr Malone said the NFU’s provisional theft claims data for the first half of 2020 indicates that while the overall theft rate had fallen during the early part of the pandemic lockdown, livestock rustling and the thefts of GPS equipment increased.

“There’s no doubt that organised criminal gangs are targeting our countryside again and these figures would be much higher if it weren’t for specialist rural crime teams in police forces, and improved farm security measures such as trackers for tractors and quads. However, a successful security measure or initiative in one area can displace organised criminality to another place, which is why we need a joined-up approach everywhere,” Mr Malone added.

The £3.3m cost of rural crime in Northern Ireland for 2019 is higher than either Scotland (£2.3m) or Wales (£2.6m).

Responding to the NFU Mutual report, PSNI superintendent Brian Kee said: “It is worth pointing out that the NFU figures represent the cost of crime as opposed to the number of reported incidents of rural crime as categorised in the PSNI statistics.

“For example one large piece of machinery may cost thousands of pounds but equates to one report of crime. That said, crime of any sort can have a significant impact on the victim, whether that be a farm business, a community or an individual, and we recognise that.”

The number of rural crimes being committed has continued to fall over the last 10 years with a 62% reduction since 2010/2011.

Supt Kee added: “Lockdown measures in relation to Covid-19 were introduced on March 23, 2020 and have had an impact on the number of burglary, robbery and theft offences recorded in Northern Ireland. The number of agricultural crimes from March to June 2020 has been the lowest figure recorded for each of these months since the data series began in 2010/11.

“In 12 months from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, there were 374 agricultural crimes recorded in Northern Ireland, a fall of 29 on the previous 12 months.”

“Rural crime can have a detrimental impact on a family, a community and a farming business. And that impact can be more than just financial, that’s why we remain committed to reducing incidents of crime in rural areas.”

The senior officer said the PSNI will continue to work closely with its partners in the Rural Crime Partnership on a number of initiatives, including a subsidised support scheme to help tackle quad and trailer theft that encourages owners to fit an electronic tracking device to proactively deter theft and assist police with the recovery of stolen property.

He added: “Rural crime can have a detrimental impact on a family, a community and a farming business. And that impact can be more than just financial, that’s why we remain committed to reducing incidents of crime in rural areas.

“The PSNI have worked with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to upskill officers. Many have completed a training course on rural and livestock affairs and put this knowledge to good use in a bid to combat rural crime on a daily basis.

“Officers in border areas such as Armagh, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Londonderry work alongside their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland, An Garda Síochána, to address the serious issue of cross border crime. We are committed to working with partner agencies and voluntary groups to ensure a high standard of prevention and detection of criminal activity in rural areas.”