New technology to help with rural crime crackdown

From Inverness to Dumfries, officers working within rural and acquisitive crime have been trained on new VIN Chip technology to prevent and tackle thefts of agricultural machinery and equipment from farms. This year alone, 34 quad bikes, 13 trailers and 10 agricultural vehicles and plant worth a total of £536,500 have been stolen from farms and rural premises across the country.

The Lothians and Scottish Borders areas are the most targeted in the country. Farmers are being encouraged to take preventative steps to deter criminals who prey on the rural communities. Sergeant Laurent Semple, from the Rural, Acquisitive and Business Preventions Team, said: “We know that the theft of farming vehicles and machinery can have a significant financial impact.

"Quad bikes are one of the most depended on pieces of equipment on a farm and are often an attractive target, as they are easy to move and of high value when selling on. “The VIN Chip system provides an individual forensic footprint to a piece of equipment or vehicle which can be scanned from distance using devices carried by Police patrols and checks against registration databases to identify owner and if reported stolen.

"This allows roadside checks to be carried out quickly and stolen equipment recovered." Farmers are also being urged to sign up to the Farm Watch scheme, which allows those involved to quickly be advised of offences or suspicious activity in their area, while recommending specific prevention measures to take. John Lally, CEO of VIN Chip, said: "By giving officers the tools to identify stolen machinery quickly and accurately, we’re helping to make rural areas less attractive to criminals and more resilient against organised theft.

"Collaboration like this is vital in keeping our farms and countryside secure.”

For more information on VIN CHIP and Rural Watch, visit https://www.vinchip.co.uk/ and https://www.ruralwatchscotland.co.uk/.