Police committed to fighting rural crime

Glyn Rowland has been working with Federated Farmers rural security spokesperson Rick Powdrell on devising ways of tackling rural crime.

The police and Federated Farmers are liaising together to crack down on rural crime.

The Approach to Rural Crime Prevention initiative has been developed in recognition that many rural crimes remain unreported to police.

A change of mindset is needed within rural communities about the importance of reporting crime.

A recent Federated Farmers study revealed that of farmers who had livestock stolen in the past five years, just under two-thirds failed to report it to police.

Inspector Glyn Rowland from Police National Headquarters in Wellington said: "It may not be possible for every offence to be investigated, but knowing about offending is crucial to developing intelligence, which helps prevent crime throughout the community.

"Also, there are many occasions when police discover potentially stolen property. Due to the fact it was not reported, no charges can be laid."

The police were building a strong partnership with Federated Farmers and would continue to do so over the coming years.

Mr Rowland said partnerships like this were crucial to preventing crime in rural communities.

He encourages farmers to stop by for a chat with their local police at the four main field days in 2015:

*Northland Field Days, Dargaville February 26-28
*Central Districts Field Days, Fielding March 12-14
*South Island Agricultural Field Days, Canterbury March 25-27
*National Agricultural Fieldays, Mystery Creek, Hamilton June 10-13.

Ways to help reduce rural crime:
*Online Rural Security Checklist -- this checklist has been developed to help you consider the security of your farm or rural property.
*"Nail 'em" -- a Crimestoppers campaign in conjunction with NZX Agri and stock agents to nail stock theft.
*Stop Stock Theft -- an interactive website set up by AgriHQ aimed at raising awareness of livestock theft and attempting to help police track down offenders.
*FarmPrint -- a new service delivered by Dunedin-based company Oritain, as a stock theft countermeasure to deter would-be criminals and provide evidence in court for prosecution.
*Serial Number Action Partnership (SNAP) -- a police initiative aimed at preventing burglary and making it harder for criminals to sell stolen goods.
*Rural Address Property Identification (RAPID) -- a nationwide system for giving every rural property with a dwelling an address so it is easier to locate.
*It's OK to Ask for Help -- an awareness campaign by Rural Women New Zealand in support of the Family Violence: It's Not OK campaign.
*Ringing your local police station.