POLICE ENCOURAGE FARMERS TO REPORT RURAL CRIME

By Sarah Waters

Crime Stoppers NSW and the NSW Police Force Rural Crime Prevention Team have announced a statewide campaign calling for the community to ramp up rural crime reporting.

Crime in rural NSW remains high with 81 per cent of farmers experiencing crimes such as stock and fuel theft, trespassing and illegal hunting.

But the reporting of rural crimes is extremely low.

A Rural Crime Advisory Group has been established to develop initiatives to help increase crime reporting and reduce crime.

Initiated by Crime Stoppers, the advisory group includes the Rural Crime Prevention Team, Centre for Rural Criminology UNE, NSW Farmers Association, Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association and the County Women’s Association.

The collaboration aims to increase victim reports

Proposed Road Disposal Section 152D Roads Act 1993

to the Police Assistance Line (PAL) and increase reports of criminal activity to Crime Stoppers.

There are several barriers which are known to prevent farmers from reporting crime. These include lack of confdence in what can be done, feeling personally responsible for theft due to lack of preventive measures and concern around retaliation as it may be someone the victim knows, especially in smaller communities.

NSW Crime Stoppers chief executive Peter Price said community resilience can’t be built if Police aren’t informed about farm crime.

“Being a victim of crime and reporting the crime matters,” Mr Price said.

“If police don’t know about the crime, they can’t do anything.

“The more information reported, the better equipped the police are to act to prevent or solve a crime,” he said.

Detective chief Inspector Cameron Whiteside said under reporting of rural crime

In accordance with section 152D of the Roads Act 1993, notice is hereby given of the proposed sale of the Crown public roads listed in Schedule 1. If a sale proceeds, the road(s) will cease to be a public road upon transfer of the road to freehold land in accordance with section 152H of the Act.

Schedule 1:

• Crown Roads at West Bungawalbin; within 2325 and 2395 Myall Road, and south of 238 & 245 Duke Road. (File ref: 23/05353, Cluster: 641975)

All interested persons are hereby invited to make submissions concerning the proposal to Department of Planning and Environment – Crown Lands, PO Box 2215, DANGAR NSW 2309 within twenty-eight (28) days of the date of this advertisement.

Any person is entitled to make submissions with respect to the sale or disposal of the road. Please note that submissions may be referred to third parties (such as council or the applicant) for consideration in accordance with the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009

For the Manager, Business Centre Newcastle continues to be a major problem.

For further enquiries please visit the website roads.crownland.nsw.gov.au/ or contact Tracey Ward by email at tracey.ward@crownland.nsw.gov.au or on T:02 4904 2576 quoting fle references above.

“We need a whole of community approach to reduce and solve crime in regional areas and there are some measures that individuals can do to help prevent crime from happening to them,” Mr Whiteside said.

Farmers are urged to accurately record livestock identifcation, remove keys from machinery, keep photos of valuable stock and install locking devices on gates, sheds and equipment.

The NSW Police Force Firearms Registry provides frearms safe storage guidance to rural frearms licence holders.

It is also undertaking a campaign on Firearms Future Plans, asking licensed frearms owners to think ahead and include frearms in their estate plans to prevent them becoming lost or stolen.

Crime Stoppers and the Rural Crime Prevention Team have produced a range of free resources for property protection, including gate signs.

Visit: www.facebook. com/RuralCrimeNSWPF for further information.

Fact sheets with prevention measures for farmers can be found on the NSW Crime Stoppers website at nsw. crimestoppers.com.au/ be-safe/.

Any suspicious activity can be reported anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or nsw. crimestoppers.com.au

Rural crimes can be specifcally reported to the Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131 444