10 Jul Farming sector bites back at organised crime
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The farming sector is hitting back at the wave of organised crime which is now estimated to be costing UK agriculture as much as £50million per year*.
With a recent survey by the NFU*2 suggesting that more than one third of farm businesses in the East of England suffered crime in the last year, with theft of farm machinery, tools and metal the common targets for organised criminals, more farms are demanding high tech security solutions, which are being adapted from commercial situations.
A recognised authority in security technology speaking on the trend has said it’s forcing security suppliers to think outside the box to manage the different threats found on the farm.
Neil Jackson, who has been involved in a number of advisory panels for the industry regulator, the British Security Association (BSIA), explained: “It’s a big challenge, but with the level of losses being suffered by the agricultural sector, the security industry has got to find the right solutions. Figures suggest that many crimes are going unreported, because farmers think the police do not have the resources, but having the right sort of system installed to an industry-standard means you’re guaranteed a police response.“
Some of the examples given include arable farmers C F Hardy in Lincolnshire. They are using a state of the art control system to combine security with production control. The control system incorporates intruder protection, cctv and heat detection. The cctv is remotely monitored by a 24-hour control room and together with infra red lighting, it gives the farm assured police call-out as the system complies with the BS8418 standard. As well as monitoring for intruders, the heat detectors in each of the eleven ambient stores are designed to trigger cctv cameras for visual verification by the control room if temperatures change.
Another sophisticated security solution has been designed to deliver both internal and external protection for Lincolnshire horticulture business R Fountain and Sons. With cctv cameras and remote monitoring, the system also includes infra red lighting together with an integrated intruder alarm and is protecting two solar fields as well as extensive glass houses on site. Integrated access control operates in all the areas, with live monitoring of doors to ensure they remain closed and keep out animals and pests, and temperatures inside glasshouses are also being continually monitored.
Neil Jackson, who is well known in the agri-sector through his work in the East of England as sales director of GB Security Group, added: “The system at Fountains is an example of what can be done if you stretch the boundaries. Here the extent of remote control and checks is being achieved by exploiting video receiving capabilities.”
Solutions are also being adapted for smaller farm security issues, such as false alarming due to vermin chewing cables, which has been overcome for Casswells Farmers in Donington. If an intruder enters the site, external infra red beams will detect movement and activate an ultra loud masterblaster siren. At the same time as the beam goes off and the blaster sounds, a cctv camera is activated, linked to a screen in the nearby farmhouse.
ENDS
*NFU Mutual annual Rural Crime Survey – figures published 2011 related to 2010 statistics and showed a cost of £49.6million.
*2 NFU survey amongst members – published June 2012
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Editor’s Note:
GB Security Group has a 30 year track record in security and fire protection, with customers ranging from multi-site food processing plants, commercial businesses, professional firms and schools through to retailers and housebuilders. Their portfolio delivers a complete range of security products and services, backed up with leading edge technical expertise, including:
- CCTV
- Fire Alarms
- Guarding Services
- Intruder Alarms
- Access Control
- Gates & Barriers
- CCTV Monitoring
- Integrated Systems
GB Security Group also operates its own specialist 24 hour remote monitoring centre. working to the highest achievable accreditation levels with NSI and SIA, and with a proven track record since 1993. All monitoring centre staff are SIA licensed for monitoring both private and public space and the company operates under the Approved Contractors Scheme (ACS), the independently assessed quality standard for suppliers of private security services.