WINNIPEG, Man. — Prairie provincial leaders have gotten the message. They’ve listened to farmers and their neighbours in rural areas and are putting more resources and new strategies in place to reduce theft and other crimes.
At the same time, farmers have taken the initiative to prevent theft through increased vigilance and investments in cameras, lighting and more.
Together, these factors seem to be making a little dent in Prairie farm crime. Anecdotally, there seem to be fewer media reports about grain theft and some other types of farm theft this year, and there’s also data from one Prairie province showing some kinds of farm theft are staying steady.
Before we look at that data, though, let’s remember that stats on farm crime are hard to come by.
Police resources are obviously focused on front-line crime prevention and dealing with crimes, leaving less time for detailed analysis of crime categories. Consequently, as Alberta RCMP analysts explain, they can’t determine “whether a theft occurred at a farm, where the farm was located in terms of proximity to an urban center, or specifically what the theft was, without a file review of all of the theft files” in the province (around 7,000 cases in 2024 so far by September).
Similarly, Saskatchewan RCMP reports that providing data on frequency trends and circumstances around farm theft is not possible, as it would require extensive file review.
However, Manitoba RCMP can offer a few insights. Planning analyst Laurel Illchuk did a search related to ‘farm’ in theft data from 2022, 2023 and 2024 year-to-date (YTD) to Sept. 30. However, she notes, with the small number of occurrences, a wide range of theft categories and a short time span, it’s difficult to comment on possible patterns in theft type or geographical area.
Some of the data is a little encouraging. “Overall, the number of farm theft occurrences went from 116 in 2022 to 96 in 2023,” Illchuk says. “The 2024 YTD number is at 76. With three months remaining in 2024, it is possible that the count of occurrences will be relatively the same as last year.”
At the same time, while the offence of ‘other theft under $5,000’ for Manitoba farms has remained relatively constant at 30 in 2022, 21 in 2023 and 21 in YTD 2024, the ‘theft over $5,000’ offence number is rising, from six in 2022 and 10 in 2023 to 12 by Sept. 30, 2024.
“Property that was most commonly stolen was fuel, trailers (utility, boat and other), farm equipment, motors, grain and some copper,” says Illchuk. “Theft of fuel has been declining but the number of various trailer theft occurrences is increasing.”
Occurrences of theft of grain have also declined, she says.
As for ‘theft of motor vehicles’ related to farms across Manitoba, this offence number has declined slightly over the last three years, and even more so with ‘theft of truck’ — 45 in 2022, 35 in 2023 and 24 in 2024 YTD.
That’s not to say farmers should get comfortable: overall, crime in rural areas is growing. In July 2024, for example, the Saskatchewan RCMP stated that compared to 2014, 2023 data shows that some of the rural parts of the province were seeing violent crime rates six times higher than in urban areas.
Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), a Manitoba general farm group, also noted last year that rural crime is increasing in Manitoba. In Altona, for example, property crime was up 37 per cent in 2023 compared to 2013.
In Alberta, to support farmers and others in rural areas, the Alberta Sheriffs service has been expanded in both number and capability.
“Two new rural surveillance teams are working to prevent crime, monitor agricultural theft and collaborate with local law enforcement to share intelligence and resources to keep Albertans and their property safe and secure,” Arthur Green, spokesperson for the ministry of public safety and emergency services, says.
The teams, one covering northern Alberta and one covering southern Alberta, are each made up of one sergeant and seven sheriffs, he says.
These surveillance teams are “helping police” gather intelligence and information on known and suspected offenders and obtain evidence that helps lead to charges in court, he says. Investigations target offenders suspected in a range of illegal activities affecting rural Alberta, such as property theft, drug trafficking and vandalism.
Using phrases like sheriffs “helping police” has, however, led to confusion among members of the public about the official status of sheriff units. In late September, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith clarified that the province now has two police forces: RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs.
Smith also stated at that time the RCMP left her government no choice but to elevate the sheriffs with more training and duties. She said at a municipal leaders’ meeting that “we pay for 1,911 RCMP officers and they have 400 or 500 vacancies. We cannot allow for rural municipalities to be under-policed and so we have trained up our sheriffs so they have the same training as police.” (Note: Alberta RCMP have since stated there are 306 vacancies provincewide.)
Because of RCMP deficiencies, Smith said, the community of Grande Prairie has replaced the RCMP with its own police force, and that about 20 other communities are interested in going that route.
Trespassing and more
RCMP advise farmers to post clear signage around farm property indicating the levels of security you have in place.| Photo by Life Of Pix/Pexels
Photo by Life Of Pix: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brass-colored-metal-padlock-with-chain-4291/
And while it seems like a problem from a TV show set a century ago, fugitives of the law are still a concern in Prairie provinces. These criminals can very easily show up on farms to commit theft — or worse, because they are on the run and can get cornered, could be desperate enough to interact directly with farmers, their family members and/or employees.
To address this, earlier this year the Alberta government created FASST (Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team) to help police services find and arrest high-priority individuals on the lam. In its first seven months of operation, FASST executed more than 1,300 warrants and made over 300 arrests, Green says.
FASST’s operational jurisdiction includes all of rural Alberta, Green explains. He adds that “members of FASST are also trained and equipped for Rural Alberta Provincial Integrated Defence (RAPID) response functions, meaning they’re available to answer requests for assistance from the RCMP on high-priority calls.” The RAPID Response initiative has also received funding for members of the Sheriff Highway Patrol to be trained and equipped to assist the RCMP with emergencies and high-priority calls. Since the expansion of the authorities of the Patrol in 2021, sheriffs have removed more than 4,700 impaired drivers from provincial highways.
And similarly to how fugitives may trespass and commit crimes on farms, those involved with drug activities are also now present in greater numbers in rural areas and may also impact farmers through theft and other means. The Alberta government said it has therefore also expanded the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit, which targets ‘problem properties’ associated with drug trafficking and more.
In October 2024, Smith and Cindy Woodhouse, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations also released a joint statement urging federal support for a national First Nations and Inuit policing program.
Alberta has allocated over $22.5 million to support policing in First Nation communities, including $12.2 million for three First Nation police services. Additionally, the Indigenous and Municipal Police Transition Study Grant is enabling several Indigenous communities to explore policing options that best meet their needs.
Saskatchewan
Similarly, Saskatchewan is now creating a provincial Marshals Service (SMS) with a focus on agricultural crime such as theft of livestock, metal and chemicals, but also gang- and drug-related crimes involving illegal weapons and more.
SMS is expected to start operating as early as mid-2025, with 70 officers plus about 30 support staff in areas such as records management, procurement and logistics.
SMS will have its first regional headquarters in Prince Albert, with locations for field offices now being determined. Chief Marshal Rob Cameron says he and his team are getting closer to final location decisions.
“We used government of Saskatchewan data scientists and also used Statistics Canada information and localized datasets from other law enforcement agencies,” he says. “Our goal is to address organized crime and gang activity, illegal guns, drugs and trafficking, but we’re also looking to cover as much of the province as we can — to look at the provincial crime picture and have as much impact as we can. We want to provide policing enhancements to all areas of the province.”
In terms of how SMS will aim to reduce rural crime, Cameron says it’s the extra boots on the ground that will be a big part of reducing all types of crimes in all areas of Saskatchewan.
He stresses “SMS is also going to be part of a collaborative approach. We’ve been having a lot of meetings about how that collaborations should happen and how the SMS should be used. We’re getting great ideas on how we can be a force multiplier.”
Check your padlocks closely and regularly to make sure they haven’t been cut and/or replaced. / Photo by Life Of Pix/Pexels
Manitoba
As in Alberta, there are complaints in Manitoba that rural crime is rising because there aren’t enough RCMP officers. Several municipalities, such as Carberry and the Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford have asked federal and provincial justice ministers for increased RCMP presence.
In October this year, the Rivers Police Service (serving the town of Rivers and the Riverdale area, about 30 km north of Brandon) was shut down, after a century of operation, without any local input. The area will now be covered by RCMP in the region, but many residents want that local police force restored.
The province is looking at various solutions and has decided so far to roll out a ‘peace officer’ program for municipalities to use as they see fit. There’s also a Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP), which boasts about 40 chapters so far in rural Manitoba. A COPP chapter was launched in February at Vita, a southeastern community presently policed by nine RCMP officers at the Emerson-Morris detachment, about 45 minutes’ drive from Vita.
Successful applicants, once trained and provided with high-visibility vests and signage, patrol and submit information on suspicious activity to local police. CTV reported in February 2024 that residents in Grunthal, which had started a COPP group three months before, were already noticing a reduction in criminal activity.
The Association of Manitoba Municipalities has called for more funding for municipal police, and KAP has been actively seeking commitments from various levels of government to address the problem of rural crime for a long time.
“Increasing the resources allotted to law enforcement, including RCMP and the relevant municipal bodies, to address rising crime rates should be the top priority for government,” KAP president Jill Verwey says.
There continue to be reports of all types of items stolen from farms in many rural areas, she says, “whether it be vehicles, grain, livestock, equipment, and break and enters into the homes of producers, where their personal possessions and valuables are stolen. We are committed to working with our members, law enforcement and other government bodies to assist in tracking these instances to hopefully identify any patterns or common trends to reduce their occurrences.”
KAP is also working with members on crime prevention.
Prairie jurisdictions have been putting alternative enforcement measures in place to address what they see as shortfalls in RCMP presence | Photo courtesy Manitoba RCMP
The key to success
While police forces are being enhanced across the Prairies, farmers and other property owners should be — and are — taking their own actions to protect their property and themselves from criminals.
Those farmers who are keeping themselves out of the statistics understand the simple key to success: multiple layers of protection. Multiple barriers reduce the chances of a criminal’s success and increase the chances of being caught, causing thieves to go elsewhere.
Carolyn McTighe, RCMP Southern Alberta district crime prevention liaison, advises that rural property owners should invest in good lighting, in particular LED motion-activated lights, as well as security cameras and sturdy disc locks for sheds and other outbuildings.
“Maintaining a secure property perimeter is also important, so the installation of fencing and lockable gates is always ideal in limiting unauthorized access,” she says. “It is also essential to store equipment and fuel securely, and make regular checks of your property, so you can ensure that there is no overgrowth of vegetation, which may obscure visibility. Clear security signage around the property can also act as a strong deterrent, as it indicates CCTV surveillance or the presence of other security measures.”
Saskatchewan RCMP advise the same ideas, but for farmers specifically, they highlight the need to make trespassing unattractive and suggest installing monitored security or alarm systems.
“Transport hay bales and livestock to locations where monitoring can happen, if possible,” a spokesperson says. “Move all equipment indoors. If this is not possible, store it in a well-lit area visible from your house but out of sight from the main roads. Keep an inventory of your equipment that includes descriptions, serial numbers, makes, models and pictures.”
Remember also to closely check locks regularly. Thieves have learned to cut off padlocks and replace them with similar locks of their own, coming back at another time to do the actual theft.
You could put inexpensive custom-made stickers on your padlocks, or use locks that are bolt cutter-resistant.
To prevent vehicle theft, never leave valuables inside, and always remove keys (and any garage door openers), then lock the doors. You should also install an electronic anti-theft system if your vehicle does not have one, and/or use a physical system such as a steering wheel lock.
Many farmers have already put in multiple barriers against grain theft, including camera systems (including 180- and 360-degree cameras) that send alerts if movement is detected or if there is tampering. Make sure your camera feeds have good lighting (flood lights that come on with motion detection) or use infrared cameras. Today’s cameras can be set to automatically zoom in, record to a cloud network and much more.
Reduce entry points to your grain storage area to on by installing fences, deep ditches or some other type of barrier at other points. Turn off the electrical unloading systems at your bins after use and check regularly for signs of tampering,
If you don’t know your current neighbours, get to know them and establish a solid reciprocating relationship to watch over each other’s properties, especially if one of you is away.
Lastly, make it easy for employees or family members to look after security. Create a document detailing how to check each blocked access point, check locks at all lock locations (including pictures and serial numbers of locks), how to check camera systems, and so on.
Report it all
All police forces also implore farmers and everyone else to report all crimes, even if they are small. This gives officers a clearer picture of the types and numbers of crimes occurring in their areas and to adjust accordingly.
And do it right away. As Verwey says, “it is imperative that farmers work with law enforcement and report these crimes when they take place.”
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About the author
Contributor
Treena Hein is a freelance writer specializing in science, tech and business trends in agriculture and more.
