A rural property marking scheme is being launched in the Scottish Borders to cut crime on farms. The work is spread over about 5,000 square kilometres (2,000 square miles).
Around 200 farms will get the new SelectaDNA marking, which will see them target-hardened and turned into hi-tech ‘forensic farms’. The scheme has been funded by Police Scotland and the Community Planning Partnership at Scottish Borders Council.
According to the rural insurer NFU Mutual’s annual rural crime survey, rural theft cost an estimated £37.8m in the UK during 2014 – down 15pc on 2013’s high of £44.5m.
PC Nick Walker, Crime Prevention Officer with Police Scotland, said: “These latest rural crime figures are still way too high and farms in the Borders are repeatedly targeted for acquisitive crime by opportunist thieves and organised gangs. Quad bike theft is a particular problem, along with theft of tractors, 4 x 4 vehicles and power tools, as well as livestock. The aims of this scheme are to help prevent and also help detect theft from farms throughout the area.”
SelectaDNA is a traceable forensic marking solution with a unique DNA code that can be applied to items of value such as farm equipment. In the event that any items are stolen and recovered by police, they are immediately traceable back to the property.
NFU Scotland is assisting Police Scotland with the selection of the ‘forensic farms’, choosing vulnerable and previously targeted ones that would benefit from property marking and promoting the scheme to their members.
PC Walker added: “This is a wide-reaching scheme covering farms right across the area from Coldstream to Cockburnspath, from Eyemouth through the central Borders across to Peebles and south through Hawick to Newcastleton. Police Scotland will be working in partnership with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service to deliver the kits and also offering farm fire safety and general crime prevention advice.
“We are also using perimeter warning signage and window stickers to deter thieves by alerting them to the fact that valuable items on the farms have been marked. We are determined to target thieves wherever they operate to ensure that our rural communities are safe from those trying to profit from criminal gain.”
