Gangs menace faced by farmers

Rural landowners are playing a dangerous game against cannabis growers and stock rustlers.

Given the propensity of violence among today's lawbreakers the fears of our rural folk are understandable.

Living in isolated parts of the region, farmers and lifestylers are vulnerable to having their land used to grow cannabis or access plantations in adjoining bush and stock rustling is an ongoing problem that costs them money.

Their only real defence they say is to spend money installing surveillance cameras on their properties in an effort to deter and/or catch rustlers and drug growers who are often members of gangs or affiliated to gangs and are often armed.

It's a sad indictment on our community that many members of our society don't feel safe on their own land and feel almost helpless.

Their fears seem very real, with Federated Farmers representatives telling this newspaper of retribution dealt to landowners who have gone to the police to dob in dope growers.

We are told some farmers have had shearing sheds burned to the ground after notifying police of illegal activity on their properties.

Rather than report matters now, many landowners are simply turning a blind eye to protect what's theirs.

Surveillance cameras are an excellent idea. Perhaps Federated Farmers as an organisation could take up some sort of campaign to encourage all rural land owners to install them, as a way to at least capture criminals on their land on camera for use by police.

For their part, police are warning that it's cannabis growing season and people need to be on the lookout for suspicious activity in their areas.

While it might be understandable people don't want to speak out for fear of retaliation, the police are right when they say they can't fight crime on their own, that they need the public's help. Better to dob in the criminals and risk losing a shed than say nothing and risk someone losing a life.