The Ulster Farmers’ Union has welcomed the launch of a new rural crime website
www.thefarmnet.com aimed at helping farmers quickly raise the alarm about stolen goods via digital and social media.
UFU Deputy President Barclay Bell said: “Rural crime continues to be a significant issue for farmers. The unfortunate reality is that farmers and producers throughout the island of Ireland are having valuable livestock and machinery stolen on a regular basis which has a devastating impact on farm families and businesses. There is evidence that one of the most powerful tools in fighting and preventing crime is communication and the new website www.thefarmnet.com has been designed to create a network of communications using web and smartphone technology.
“We suspect that many items are being ‘stolen to order’ and that there is a very real issue of items being stolen in Northern Ireland and then crossing the border into the Republic of Ireland and vice versa. There is evidence that often stolen items are stored for a while before possibly being shipped out of the country. It stands to reason, that this storage period presents the best window of opportunity for recovery, which is why it is vitally important to raise awareness of stolen goods as quickly and as widely as possible.
Cross Border
“The beauty of the Farmnet website is that it takes a cross border approach which, given that there is undeniable evidence of movement of stolen goods between North and South, means that farmers can raise the alarm and reach a large audience quickly. It also complements local rural text alert schemes and allows information to be shared without individuals being bombarded by text messages.”
The website is very easy to access and easy to use. Farmers throughout the island of Ireland can log onto the blog site and enter details of stolen items at anytime of the day or night to tell the entire rural community what they have lost. The website is easily viewed on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
These details can include a photograph, any distinctive markings or numbers and when and where the stolen property was last seen. The information can be viewed by all users who register and all entries are automatically posted to The Farmnet Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Anyone who believes they have seen any suspicious activity, such as vehicles and livestock being moved, can add their comment. Historic thefts can be put on retrospectively to encourage reports of possible sightings and share information after the incident.
There are also a number of recovered items in storage which need to be returned to their owners and the site will carry details of any unidentified property which is currently held by authorities.
Barclay Bell concluded: “The Farmnet website allows farmers to take advantage of advances in technology and become part of a virtual anti-crime network. The Ulster Farmers’ Union continues to work with the PSNI, NFU Mutual and other stakeholders to address this important issue and this new website is another useful tool to have in our rural crime fighting arsenal.”
Register on www.thefarmnet.com and be a part of this anti-crime network.