A rash of break-ins at unoccupied properties near Regina this month is a wake-up call for farmers who leave homes and sheds unattended and unlocked.
Sgt. Keith Lowenberger, operations officer with the Regina RCMP detachment, said farmers need to better protect their valuables and that includes fuel.
“The farming community is far too trusting,” he said.
Lowenberger recommends the use of monitored alarm systems that allow police to quickly respond to break-ins and limit the amount of time criminals will spend at a farm site.
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“If there’s no alarm, they’re free to wander in the house at will,” he said.
In late October, police were investigating break-ins at houses within about 15 kilometres of Regina where the occupants were away. Two or more male suspects in a 1990s model Chevy truck are alleged to have stolen goods including electronics, a truck and even a small purebred dog.
Lowenberger advised farmers to take inventory of the contents of both farm and home, take detailed pictures of valuables like jewelry and mark goods like tools with a driver’s licence number that can be easily tracked.
“If items are marked, they’re less likely to take them,” he said.
Lock vehicles and gas tanks and keep the keys safely stashed.
“Would you leave $50,000 in cash lying on the front lawn?” he said of those who leave keys in unlocked farm trucks.
In light of high fuel prices, he questioned the practice of tanks stored at remote sites, saying portable truck-mounted fuel tanks might be more prudent.
Log suspicious activity such as someone arriving unannounced looking for a person. Record details about the vehicle, including its licence plate number.
“It’s like a big jigsaw. Every little piece helps,” Lowenberger said of police investigations.
When farmers go on holiday, they should ask neighbours to check the property regularly, cancel papers delivered to rural postal boxes and install automatic timers on lights.
