Unattended Farm Vehicles Are Prime Targets For Thieves During Harvest

By Gordon HopkinsTractors, combines and other farm vehicle left unattended during harvest are prime targets for thieves. That is according to Jefferson County Sheriff Nick Georgi. At a meeting of the Law Enforcement Committee on Tuesday, November 25, the sheriff said, “The last couple weeks, we had quite a few farms hit; combines, farm trucks sitting out during harvest.”“We think we got someone running around with John Deere keys and international keys,” said Georgi.Fairbury City Councilperson John Ebke, who also sits on the Law Enforcement Committee, said, “We had a John Deere tractor and an International Combine, and they were locked. They didn’t break the windows out, but all the tools were taken out.”The losses from these thefts have been primarily tool, although Ebke noted in one instance, “They stole the paper towels out of the tractor.”Because of the risk, many farmers only keep cheap tools in their vehicles. Ebke said, “I don’t understand. And sure, it was probably, like $200 worth of tools, which is hardly anything anymore. But is it worth the effort to go do that? And then how do you that’s what they would cost to replace, not what they (the thieves) would get out of them. Because who wants a bunch of Taiwanese wrenches? We don’t keep a bunch of good stuff in there.”Sheriff Georgi noted that Gage County has also seen similar thefts. According to Sergeant Tim Hanson, Investigator for the Gage County Sheriff’s Office, indicated there was a report from a farm outside of Blue Springs reported on November 7, “It was a New Holland baler and the victim stated it was taken sometime in the last month.” “One of the ‘problems’ we have is that farmers leave equipment unattended and unmonitored for several months after harvest. Around March and April, when the farmers begin returning to the field after the winter weather subsides, they notice (and hopefully report) thefts, vandalism, suspicious circumstances, etc., but the time frame for the theft is usually between November and March (3-5 months) and that makes it harder to investigate,” Hanson told FJN via email. “Especially in the rural areas, one possible solution that would assist us would be if farmers had cameras monitoring their equipment, especially live feeds. In many circumstances there is no reason for someone to be off a rural road and way out in a field (especially near farm equipment, tractors, pivots, etc.).” The Gage County Sheriff’s Office strongly encourages people to contact them through dispatch, not email or Facebook, which are not monitored 24 hours a day, so that law enforcement can respond to the scene and investigate. Hanson wrote, “If we were able to be notified of even a suspicious vehicle, deputies could respond, hopefully locate the suspect, and start an investigation.”

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