Dr. Kyle Mulrooney, Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE) Dr. Alistair Harkness, Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE) Mr. Huw Nolan, Senior Research Officer The NSW Farm Crime Survey 2020 Introduction Rural criminology is a field of research that acknowledges that rurality and community size have an impact on the incidence of crime, types of crime, response to crime and access to related services. Researchers in the Centre for Rural Criminology study the most compelling problems that impact upon rural and regional communities in order to produce valuable information that can inform policy and enhance community health and wellbeing. One of the primary problems facing rural communities is incidents of crime that impact on the function of pastoral, agricultural and aquaculture farming operations. The impact of ‘farm crime’ is significant. Not only is the farming sector important to the Australian economy, but such crimes can have devastating financial, psychological and physical impacts on farmers, rural landowners and communities. In 2020, Dr. Kyle Mulrooney, co-director of the Centre for Rural Criminology (UNE), undertook the New South Wales (NSW) Farm Crime Survey to better understand the extent of the present problem, its impacts on landowners and primary producers, and the most effective and achievable solutions. The survey sought valuable information from those involved in farming, who have important insights, on several key issues including their experiences and perceptions of farm crime; their attitudes towards the policing of and criminal justice responses to farm crime; and their awareness and implementation of crime prevention measures. Increasing the capacity to fight farm crime is crucial. The information farmers provided allows us to better understand the scope of the problem, as well as find out what measures might be taken by the Government, police and other agencies and farmers to reduce the incidence of farm crime across New South Wales. Presented below are select findings from the survey which provides the latest glimpse into farm crime and related issues in NSW. Dr. Kyle J.D. Mulrooney // 2 The most common forms of victimisation include: Farmers in NSW experience very high levels of crime victimisation and often experience this victimisation repeatedly and across multiple occasions. Victimisation Worry About Crime Summary Given the high levels of repeated victimisation, it is unsurprising that many farmers believe that crime in NSW has risen ‘a lot more’ in the past two years and that the large majority of farmers tend to classify crime in their local area as serious The focus of their worry centres on the crimes experienced most often. // 3 Trespass Illegal shooting and hunting The theft of livestock Break and enter Theft of equipment and tools 56% 46% 44% 36% 32% 88% 81% 36% 88% have been victims on 2 or more occasions. 81% of farmers reported being a victim of farm crime. 36% have experienced crime 7 or more times. 64% of farmers indicated they were worried about crime in general. 64% // 4 Nearly half of respondents were not aware they could report non-urgent crime to Crime Stoppers ( 42% ) or the Police Assistance Line ( 45% ) & many farmers indicated they would report crime to friends and neighbours ( 68% ) and family ( 68% ). Farmers expressed mixed views on the police in general, with low-mid levels of confidence overall and indicated dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system. There was a strong desire not only for tougher measures against farm crime, but also for an informed and engaged rural police force which is well-resourced, and which can be relied upon to be proactive as well as reactive. The majority of farmers were aware of the NSW Police Force Rural Crime Prevention Team (RCPT). Those who have had direct contact with the RCPT were highly satisfied with their experience and significantly more satisfied with the police overall , while both awareness and direct contact with the RCPT was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of farmers reporting crime. These results may result from farmers feeling seen, heard, and understood by the police and indicate greater confidence in these police to be able to respond to farm crime. • A lack of confidence in police capacity to solve the crime, • Perceptions of barriers to investigating crime in rural spaces, • Concerns around retaliation from offenders. I would report crime which has occurred on my farm to the police: 90% of farmers agree that there should be a team of police officers trained to deal with rural crime specifically. Reporting Crime Less than half of farmers surveyed indicated they would report crime they experienced ‘all of the time’ and, despite being the most often experienced forms of victimisation, trespass and illegal shooting and hunting were reported less than 1/3 of the time. Reluctance to report crime revolved primarily around: Perceptions of Police and Justice 43% all the time 9% rarely 1% never 28% most of the time 19% sometimes 36% were highly satisfied and 37% were satisfied with their experience with the RCPT. Highly Satisfied Farmers agree Satisfied 36% 90% 37% // 5 The large majority felt personal responsibility to prevent farm crime , with many indicating they actively employ specific measures to do this such as counting livestock, target hardening and using warning signage. Yet, farmers also pointed out challenges, including: • Financial cost • Difficulty of implementation • Lack of knowledge around what works which often discourages them from undertaking crime prevention efforts. The impact of crime on Australian farmers and other rural property owners is significant psychologically and financially, and there are direct and broader social and economic implications (i.e. bio-security). The very high levels of crime victimisation/worry and under-reporting of crime, along with low to mid-levels of confidence in the police and low satisfaction with the criminal justice system are strongly interrelated, and may greatly hinder the capacity of communities and the police to prevent and respond to crime. There exist unique geographic and cultural attributes in rural farming communities which are reflected in the incidence and responses to crime, as well as access to criminal justice services. Crime Prevention Efforts Police cannot simply ‘go it alone’, and farmers must be engaged and supported in their crime prevention efforts. At the same time, officers trained to deal with rural crime and its nuances are best placed to address these issues though integrated, proactive and community-oriented strategies. 55% of farmers felt crime prevention measures are too expensive to implement. 42% of respondents agreed that preventing crime was the job of the police. 80% felt that farmers needed to take personal responsibility for crime prevention efforts. 55% 42% 80% Access the full report at here