Shoplifting surge hitting farm shops and rural businesses

In collaboration with the local South West Rural Crime Teams, we bring you the latest advice and guidance on all aspects of rural crime. As we strive to reduce the risk of crime in rural retail businesses across the south west, we asked Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team for its advice:

Security is essential

Preventing crime before it happens is a priority. If an offence does occur, the Police will look for important evidence to progress an investigation such as CCTV images, registration numbers or any information to identify a suspect. To protect your farm or farm shop, we recommend the following: 

·         When access and egress is not needed, such as carparks or yards at night, lock and secure gates with a high-quality lock and use tamper-proof or anti-lift hinges. 

·         Install secure and sturdy fencing or place natural barriers around the perimeter to prevent unwanted access. 

·         Install high-quality CCTV cover internal and external areas of farms and farm shops. This doesn't need to be expensive but must be high resolution and good quality to give Police the best opportunity to recover useable evidence.

·         CCTV should cover till/payment areas as well as all entry/exit points and ideally include enough cameras to minimise blind spots in a shop or area. 

·         Signs such as 'CCTV IN OPERATION', 'NO CASH OR VALUABLES LEFT ON SITE OVERNIGHT' and 'SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE REPORTED TO POLICE' helps highlight you are security conscious. 

·         ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) technology is also worth considering as it helps identify vehicles coming in and out of the site, as well as motion-activated lighting, with passive infrared (PIR) sensors, to detect and alert you to movement in car parking areas at night. 

·          Keep internal areas such as offices or staff areas locked when not in use. 

·         Make sure expensive items such as alcohol or high-priced goods are kept away from external doors, with a till or ‘human interaction’ area between where they’re placed and the exit. This gives staff a better opportunity to monitor customer behaviour.

·         Good customer service is also a good deterrent. Criminals like to remain anonymous and avoid interaction, so a simple greeting, such as 'Hello, can I help you with anything today?' may prevent a theft.

·         Sign up to your local free Community Alert System to receive messages from the Police about specific concerns for rural/farming communities. This gives you the best opportunity to arm yourself with information on protecting your business. 

Register here and select ‘FARMWATCH’:

Devon & Cornwall: https://community-messaging.dc.police.uk

Dorset: https://www.dorsetalert.co.uk

Somerset: https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

Always report crime

ANY theft should be reported. Call 999 if you see a crime taking place or 101 if it has already occurred. Reporting and recording are vital so Police can respond and target issues effectively.

Don’t put your personal safety at risk

Finally, don't ever put yourself at risk of harm. If someone becomes agitated, aggressive or violent, let them go, collect as much visual evidence as you can such as a physical description, car registration, or even just noting the time so CCTV footage can be tracked more easily. And report it to Police immediately.

Working together to prevent rural crime

For more rural crime advice, scan the QR code for a copy of our Rural Crime Guide. With input from the South West Rural Crime Teams, it gives you hints and tips in the areas of crime seen most often on South West farms and signposts further help.