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Rural crime cost the South East of England £8,644,000 last year (2018).
This is an increase of 12.1% compared to 2017. Thieves’ main targets included tools, ATV’s/quads and machinery. Overall across the whole UK the total cost from rural crime was £50m. The highest cost for seven years.
Does your rural based business have the right security systems in place to deal with this threat?
What is rural crime?
The definition of rural crime covers offences taking place in a rural, countryside location. This affects many countryside based businesses and includes:
- Crimes committed on farms / agricultural sites: theft of/or damage to plant vehicles, equipment, livestock or other vehicles
- Construction sites based in rural locations: theft of and / or damage to plant vehicles and, machinery
- Wildlife environmental related crime: animal cruelty, poaching, badger baiting, killing or taking of wild birds or damage of protected habitats.
Rural crime statistics – on the rise
Rural crime cost the South East of England £8,644,000 last year (2018). As reported by NFU Mutual, the sharp rises are being driven mainly by high value theft of tractors, quad bikes and other farm vehicles.
George Ashby, NFU Senior Agent said:
“One of the most alarming findings from the year’s report is that the fear of crime is changing life in the countryside. Constant reports of theft and suspicious vehicles staking out farms is causing rural residents to feel they’re under siege.
Our advice to people living and working in the countryside is to regularly evaluate your current security measures making improvements where necessary, remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the local police and rural crime teams.”
Which types of businesses are most at risk from rural crime?
Commercial crime including theft and vandalism are all too common for many businesses. It’s never just the cost of crime in replacing vandalised or stolen equipment and property. Business owners have to deal with the disruption caused by damaged and stolen machinery. Insurance claims need to be made, leaving the business to deal with the cost of all downtime. This can include a lack of trade, orders being unfulfilled and more.
At Safeguard Systems we are well placed to help and support rural businesses with all of their security requirements.
This can include a state of the art HD CCTV system, monitored CCTV surveillance cameras or a Security Alarm system design to help prevent crime.
Typically, the businesses most at risk are farms, equestrian centres and abattoirs.
Additionally, some construction sites are located in rural locations. Operators of construction sites face many security challenges on a daily basis.
Read our ‘Guide to Construction Site Security‘ for more information on how to secure and monitor a building site.
Here’s how we can help:
CCTV for Farms and Equestrian Centres – catching and prosecuting thieves
Safeguard Systems can design and install a full range of CCTV systems for farms and equestrian centres.
Dependent on your budget and requirements we recommend any of the following.
HD CCTV installation – the CCTV systems for farms we install provide crystal clear images helping to spot potential break ins and prosecute offenders. Are your current CCTV surveillance cameras up to scratch?
Monitored CCTV systems – for owners farms looking to be proactive in catching criminals this is a sound option.
You may have people sharing the responsibility of monitoring your CCTV cameras however, things can be missed and you may not have staff on site 24/7.
A remotely monitored CCTV system is managed externally, 24/7 by an experienced security professional.
Their job is to spot all threats and inform you and the authorities promptly.
Security Alarms for Farms – Helping to Reduce Plant Theft
Prevention in our minds is always better than the cure. Whilst a robust CCTV system can help to deter and catch criminals, a quality security alarm is an integral part of any farm’s efforts in tackling and preventing crime.
We offer a broad range of security alarms for all budgets and requirements.
CCTV for Abattoirs and Slaughterhouses
Over the past few years there has been a rise in animal activism focused on farms, slaughterhouses and other animal based businesses such as dairies.
The team at Safeguard Systems can design and install a range of CCTV systems for abattoirs helping to reduce the impact protesters may have on those operating slaughterhouses.
Depending on your budgets and requirements, the CCTV systems we install for abattoirs include:
- HD and IP CCTV systems
- Professioanlly monitored CCTV surveillance cameras
Are your current CCTV surveillance cameras fit for purpose?
Due to the ongoing pressure on the industry to improve standards, it’s now a legal requirement for all abattoirs to have a fully operational CCTV system on site.
Security Alarms for Abattoirs and Slaughterhouses
Like for farms, a robust Alarm system for your abattoir can act as a deterrent to thieves and intruders.
We recommend investing in a quality alarm system, preferably one that is integrated with your CCTV cameras.
When the security alarm is triggered, your cameras will tilt and point to where the breach is occurring, helping to capture clear images of the intruder.
We offer a full range of security alarm systems including wired and wireless options. If your abattoir isn’t staffed 24/7 we recommend considering a monitored alarm system to offer maximum peace of mind.
Help and Support for Rural Businesses – reducing plant theft
If you are currently concerned about crime in your area, please find below a useful list of contacts across your local areas.
The local rural crime teams for your area can be found below:
Hampshire Country Watch – click the link to find all contact details if you are a Hampshire based rural business
Wiltshire Rural Crime Team – here are their contact details if you are a rural business based in Wiltshire
Thames Valley Country Watch – click the link to get in touch if you’re based in Berkshire or Oxfordshire.
At Safeguard Systems, we can help you evaluate your current security systems and enhance where required.
Our bespoke CCTV, Alarm and Access Control services can further secure your premises and reduce the risk of crime.
You can get in touch via our contact page or call us now on 0800 689 1835
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