FARMERS WARNED AS CRIMINALS
TARGET GPS SYSTEMS
Thieves are increasingly targeting
GPS systems from farm vehicles
as part of a crime wave which is
costing the industry hundreds of
thousands of pounds.
Police said criminals were
breaking into vehicles to steal both
the external GPS receiver and the
control panel inside the vehicle
cab.
A John Deere dealership in West
Norfolk said 30 systems had
recently been stolen from the area
it covers, with each unit costing
about £10,000 to replace.
It is believed the systems can fetch
about £5,000 on the black market,
with many of them destined for
Eastern European countries where
they cannot easily be traced.
Experts said some systems can be
traced if the thief or new recipient
fails to disable the device before
switching it on.
Police have teamed up with the
NFU to warn farmers ‘remove it
or lose it’ as the problem shows no
sign of letting up.
NFU Norfolk County Adviser John
Newton said: “The key message
for farmers is they should take
these units out of tractors and other
farm machinery each night. Don’t
leave them in a locked cab, as
these can easily be broken into. We
would also ask farmers to consider
using property marking kits.
“These GPS systems are becoming
as essential for farmers as car
satnavs are for motorists, guiding
tractors in fields and saving diesel,
labour and time. Losing them can
have a considerable impact on farm
businesses.”
Adrian Garrett from Wereham near
Downham Market said thieves
entered his farm yard in February
and stole two complete GPS
systems from John Deere tractors.
The systems were covered by
insurance but took about a month
to replace, leading to major
disruption for the farm.
“We had to drill 150 acres of wheat
without the satellite system and all
the data we had stored was lost,”
said Mr Garrett.