Image Upload


File size must be less than 2Mb

You must have online publishing permission or full ownership of this image

File types (jpg, png, gif)






  • Hero image

AgLife: Farmers asked to speak out on crime

By DYLAN DEJONG

Victoria’s peak farming body is reminding the agricultural community to report farm crime to authorities in a bid to reduce incidents across the state.  

Off the back of a ‘Locals Get Vocal’ campaign, Victoria Police and Victorian Farmers Federation aim to change the culture of how farmers protect their assets, while also making it easier to report on-farm crime. 

VFF president and Murra Warra farmer David Jochinke said co-ordinating the campaign with Victoria Police was a crucial step forward in preventing crime. 



Article continues below


“This is about getting farmers to talk to and co-ordinate with police officers, not only to report and identify, but also solve farm crime,” he said.

“We’re trying to encourage people to speak up and get their voice heard. 

“We’ve got to take that ownership. We have take the approach of not allowing it to happen to begin with. That occurs around our attitudes and how we look at problems and solve them as a group.” 

Mr Jochinke said it was difficult for authorities to allocate resources to prevent crime if farmers failed to report incidents.

He said latest figures showed a misrepresentation of crime in regional localities due to under-reporting. 

“We don’t have good enough stats,” he said. 

“We’re seeing under-reporting of farm crime, which makes it harder for us to ask for additional resources.”

Mr Jochinke said he anecdotally heard of incidents occurring across the Wimmera-Mallee. 

“In our area there’s been a lot more people coming on to farms,” he said.

“I hear of people losing sheep in our area, losing equipment from their sheds, chemicals, trailers, even tractors in some cases.” 

In September last year Victoria Police added a team of 70 Farm Crime Liaison Officers, FLCOs, to a specialised farm crime unit to improve reporting opportunities for farmers. 

Mr Jochinke said VFF hoped additional FCLOs would create a way for farmers to speak out. 

“Having these dedicated people to contact will hopefully give the farmers the confidence to report crime,” he said.

He said reporting was crucial for police to be able to follow up leads. 

“One of our greatest concerns is, even while someone might report the crime, few follow it up,” he said.

“That just boils down to resourcing. The more we report it, the more people get active, the more it’s followed up.” 

Mr Jochinke said while reporting was important, preventative measures could ensure farmers could protect themselves. 

“Farmers need to be responsible for their own equipment. No longer can we just expect people will abide by the law. We’ve got to be proactive in how we protect ourselves,” he said. 

“Things like firearm storage – no longer is a fridge with a padlock acceptable. We want people to be using certified gun cabinets – putting surveillance in where there’s valuable assets such as wool, sheep yards and diesel tanks. 

“We want people to not leave their vehicles unlocked near roads overnight.

“There’s many things we can do. It starts with conversations in the district; if you see a suspicious vehicle in the neighbourhood give your neighbour a call. If you’re going away, help your neighbours help you as well. We’re trying to get vocal.” 

Mr Jochinke said he wanted farmers to be confident it was worth reporting a crime. 

“We’re better working together than trying to be vigilantes,” he said.

“We don’t want people to take the law into their own hands. We want people to have faith in a system that works. 

“To make that system work we need to be a part of it.” 

Farm Crime co-ordinator, Inspector Karl Curran, said the rising number of incidents had equated to millions of dollars of stolen agricultural resources. 

“In the past 12 months, livestock worth more than $1.9-million was stolen across Victoria,” he said.

“There were 3588 crimes reported in the previous 12 months where tools, equipment, pumps, trailers and fuel were stolen equating to about $1.4- million. These crimes are facilitated by an abundance of property, isolation and remoteness.”

Mr Curran said rural properties were often targeted by offenders searching for firearms.

“There were 134 firearms, as well as ammunition, stolen during burglaries across the state over the past year,” he said.

“Most rural property owners use firearms as part of their jobs and offenders are well aware of this.

“While most firearms are safely stored, they are often kept on remote properties and the theft is often not discovered for days or even weeks.”

The entire March 25, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire March 25, 2020 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!