Councillor wants clarity on agricultural crime figures

GLENS Sinn Fein Councillor Colum Thompson has expressed his satisfaction that Moyle District Council has decided to write a letter to The Chief Constable Matt Baggott asking for statistics for agricultural crime to be separated from statistics for rural crime.

By The Newsroom

Published 21st Sep 2012, 12:47 BST

Councillor Thompson said: ”Agriculture is a business that turns over billions and employs almost 50,000 people, unfortunately thefts from farms, including machinery and livestock, is a growing concern but if you ask The PSNI for statistics on agricultural crime they can’t tell you because these figures are lumped in together with all other rural crime.

“The theft of livestock in particular has increased in recent times and it is a worrying situation, separating agricultural crime and rural crime statistics like this would ensure that both the police and the farming community would have information available regarding where and when agricultural crime is taking place and which types of items and property are being targeted and it can only help in the fight against agri-crime.”