UFU: Courts not tough enough on rural crime

The farming union said that when criminals are brought before the courts the sentences “rarely reflect the impact of these crimes”.

The UFU is surveying members on rural crime “in order to gain an understanding of how its members view the issue of rural crime and the official response they receive when reporting incidences.”

The UFU deputy president Victor Chestnutt said some rural crimes can involve “violence or threats to families.”

He said that while rural crime tends to be ‘lumped together’, the nature of the crimes can vary greatly in both the cost and the psychological impact on families.

“At one level it’s about petty pilfering and opportunist theft,” he said.

“However, what really unsettles people in remote areas are planned thefts of machinery or livestock.”

“Another unwelcome addition to this problem is when it involves violence or threats to families.”.

The UFU say it “recognises” the efforts of police to tackle the problem but said more resources are required.

Mr Chestnutt continued: “Despite these efforts farmers continue to remain disappointed that when criminals are brought before the courts, sentences imposed upon them rarely reflect the impact of these crimes.”

“This is why we are undertaking this survey and encouraging as many members as possible to take part. It is wide-ranging, but simple to complete. We want to establish how many families have been victims of rural crime, where in Northern Ireland these crimes occurred and whether there is a pattern as regards the value of the items stolen.

“We want to know more about people’s experience of reporting these crimes to the PSNI and why some people choose not to report these crimes, and whether that reflects a belief that they are not taken seriously.”

Mr Chestnutt added: “Tackling this problem has to begin with understanding it better and that is why we are encouraging members to take part in our survey.”

Superintendent Brian Kee, the PSNI’s service lead for rural and wildlife crime said: “We are committed to reducing rural and agricultural crime across Northern Ireland.

“Police want to work towards reducing opportunities for this type of crime by increasing public awareness, working with other partner agencies to identify ways of preventing crime, and targeting and arresting those committing such offences.

“Rural and agriculture crime affects more than just those people who are direct victims; it impacts on jobs, the environment and the economy.

“It is a concern for all of us and I would therefore ask for assistance from the public in providing information that may support us in continuing to prevent crime and arresting those individuals or gangs that carry out offences within rural communities.

“We continue to work closely with our partners in the rural crime partnership to identify preventative measures and to educate the rural community on how best to protect their property and possessions.

“We look forward to working with the Ulster Farmers Union following the publication of the results of their survey.”

The survey is available at www.ufuni.org