Senior Constable Troy Bryan, Leongatha police officer, and Leading Senior Constable Nick Carlson, from Wonthaggi’s Active Policing Unit, are both farm crime liaison officers in the Gippsland region and had a display at the recent South Gippsland Dairy Expo.
Troy said they received a lot of inquiries at the expo about local crime trends, which included a lot of theft of diesel from vehicles.
In a 2024 report, more than 20 per cent of crime reported by Australian farmers was for fuel-related theft.
Construction and agriculture businesses reported losses of $95 million from fuel-related theft each year.
Locking fuel caps on vehicles are a basic defence against thieves. The next best option is to use anti-siphoning caps, made to prevent siphoning of fuel from the vehicle.
Vehicles and fuel storage tanks should also be stored in well-lit areas. Keys should be stored elsewhere, rather than left in vehicles and close by fuel storage tanks.
A fuel storage tank should have a lockable cut-off valve, rather than the simpler nozzle and hose of traditional use. If there is an electrically controlled pump on the storage tank, the control switch should be located in a locked building, and the electricity turned off when the fuel tank is not in use.
Locating fuel storage tanks behind silos or sheds provides thieves with cover for their criminal activities.
Troy said there were opportunistic thefts of quad bikes and chainsaws occurring, and encouraged people to lock away chainsaws and remove ignition keys from quad bikes.
“Make sure your tools and equipment are secured,” he said.
“If possible, chain or secure tools and equipment to a fixed object. Install a locking mechanism on trailers, and when vehicles are not being used they should be disabled — remove the battery, spark plugs or distributor cap.”
Items could also be marked or engraved with a unique number, code or symbol, to ensure their traceability if stolen.
“Also, keeping records of serial and model numbers, and photographs of equipment and tools, and invoices, helps us identify your tools and equipment when we find them,” Troy said.
According to the Victorian Government’s Crime Statistics Agency, vehicle theft from farms was the biggest single criminal offence reported consistently year-on-year for the past 10 years — followed by criminal damage of property, theft from a vehicle and a separate offence of theft of diesel fuel.
The Crime Statistics Agency records indicated incidences of farm crime continued to rise.
Nick said they were also talking to people about firearm safety and storage.
“A lot of people are still unsure about how to safely store their firearms, ensuring they are in an appropriate lockable storage area,” he said.
“They also need to store their ammunition in a separate lockable storage area.”
Nick said a lot of people didn’t know the regulations around safely transporting their firearms.
Information is on the Victoria Police website, at: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/firearm-storage
Loddon, Campaspe, Bendigo, East Gippsland, Greater Geelong, Pyrenees, Strathbogie and Murrindindi police districts recorded some of the highest incidences of reported farm crimes. More than half of reported crimes (61 per cent) were theft from farms.
Victoria Police, Neighbourhood Watch and RACV Victoria have launched an online tool for farmers to self-assess ‘How safe is my farm’ at: https://howsafeismyplace.com.au/farm/
The online quiz enables farmers to conduct an audit of their farm to identify their farm’s vulnerabilities and how to prevent potential criminal activity on their property.
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