Commentary: To stop rural crime, you must report it

Issue Date: December 6, 2006

By Detective Donnie Schwandt

When it comes to stopping agriculture crime, there is one key step growers must take before any progress can be made: Report the crime.

A survey by the Agriculture Crime Technology Information and Operations Network (ACTION) Project indicates that only one out of every 10 agriculture crimes in California is being reported. When law enforcement officials know about only 10 percent of the criminal activity in their jurisdiction, they can do only 10 percent of their jobs. The recent recovery of $400,000 worth of nuts in Sacramento County illustrates that the system works.

There are many reasons to file a report on crimes of any size. First is the need to have as many pieces of the puzzle as possible in order to solve a crime, make an arrest and get a conviction. Information and intelligence gathered from the scene of a crime may be the evidence that helps officials identify a suspect. Second, complete knowledge of what's going on in a county allows officers to recognize a pattern of activity or a ring that may be operating on a larger scale. With only a portion of the information available, that task is next to impossible. Finally, statistics talk and the only way to justify and maintain funding to keep deputies assigned to agriculture crime units is to show the true extent of agriculture crime in California.

When you recognize that a crime has been committed on your property, stay away from the scene and tell your employees to stay away from the scene. During the process of walking the site to examine the extent of the damage, evidence is destroyed. In many cases that evidence is as simple as a shoe print, and in order to successfully solve a crime, evidence must be preserved.

Also, report the crime immediately. Know the number to your local Ag Crimes Task Force or the dispatch number for your local sheriff's department. If you live in one of the 13 Central Valley or Central Coast counties, a dedicated agriculture crime unit exists within your sheriff's department to investigate these crimes. Make your first call to that unit directly. Many counties make online reporting available through the local sheriff's department Web site. Likewise, online reporting is available through ACTION at www.agcrime.net.

Following your initial call, expect a deputy to contact you to take your report and investigate the situation. An officer will arrive as soon as possible but be aware that in some instances when crimes of violence are occuring elsewhere, it could take several hours for someone to arrive at the scene.

Many of the deputies in the ag crime units specifically request these assignments because of their own background in the industry and their desire to continue working in agriculture. They understand the demands on your time and will make every effort to accommodate your schedule. When talking to a dispatcher, leave a number where you can be reached and wait for a phone call. Arrangements can be made to meet with you or your representative at a scheduled time to ensure that your operation continues to run smoothly, even while the investigation takes place.

Above all, stay alert, protect your property and don't be an easy victim. A crime prevention mentality really does pay, and even though it takes a few extra dollars to put a gate across your driveway and a few extra minutes to stop and shut it, in the long run it is easier to prevent a crime than to solve one.

The types of agriculture crimes in California are constantly changing, but one thing remains the same: Losses due to crime directly impact your bottom line. As farmers and ranchers in this state, you face a unique set of circumstances when it comes to the way you protect your property in the midst of an ever-growing urban population. As law enforcement officers, we too must constantly adapt and respond to the many new issues these changes bring.

(Donnie Schwandt is a deputy in the Ag Crimes Unit of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department and serves as vice president of the California Rural Crime Prevention Task Force. He may be contacted at dschwandt@stanislaussheriff.com.)

Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item. Top