Garda chief warns farmers not to leave machinery unsecured

FARMERS have been warned to be vigilant when it comes to ensuring their farm equipment and machinery are secured against theft.

Chief Supertindent Tom Curley said that Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch continued to be a great help in rural areas but that individuals had a responsibility to secure their own properties too.

Speaking at the Galway County Joint Policing Committee, the Chief Supertindent said that farmyards were particularly vulnerable at this time of year when machinery was often left in yards after the major work of the Summer had been completed.

“A lot of stuff will be left around farm yards and that’s a ‘draw’ for certain criminals, particularly gangs targetting parts of rural Galway,” he said.

He stressed that farmers should properly secure and put away machinery that they would not be using until required again next Summer.

Cllr. Joe Folan said that Gardaí in the Midlands had had a great success in apprehending a gang who were targetting farm machinery.

This was a scam where farmers were allowing people onto their property believing they were bone fide personnel from various organisations when in fact they were ‘casing’ the farm yard and its contents.

“From now on, farmers will have to ensure anyone who arrives at their farm has a security statement as well as a safety statement before they can allow them pass through the farm gate.

“I have always said cheap policing doesn’t work and we need to make sure our Garda numbers are not declining.

“They also need to have proper transport and technology as in some rural Garda stations they don’t even have broadband, let alone computers to access the Pulse System,” said Cllr Folan, a former Garda.