PSNI help combat farm thefts

Police were delighted with the turnout from the farming community who brought over twenty pieces of machinery to the event, which was held at Craig’s Farm, Carnmoney Road, Eglinton.

CESAR is a registration scheme giving peace of mind that farming equipment is protected by state of the art technology, it is a visual deterrent to thieves and aids identification making it easier to return to its owner if stolen and recovered. CESAR has the added benefits of having no annual fees and reducing insurance costs. The system is approved and recommended by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Foyle Inspector Barry Pollin was delighted with the turnout on the day.

“Rural crime is a priority for police and we are determined to reduce this type of crime in our local area. I would encourage all farmers and people who live in rural areas to install the Cesar IT System and get their trailers marked as this helps make their vehicles and machinery much less attractive to criminals. It was great to see such interest from local farmers at the weekend.”

PSNI Crime Prevention Officer Mandy Monteith explained: “This was an excellent opportunity for farmers living in the local area to get their tractors or quads marked with a unique datatag. Rural theft, especially of farm equipment and machinery, was a serious problem a few years ago but these types of initiatives definitely deter criminals. The public can also help reduce these types of crime by reporting suspicious activity immediately. We would ask people to note descriptions of those acting suspiciously, vehicle types, colours and registrations and call Police as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information on rural crime is urged to contact police.