The Thames Valley Police liveried secure tractor is appearing at the CLA (Country Landowners’ Association) Game Fair at Blenheim Palace on the weekend of July 22 to 24, as part of a tour of major rural events in the Thames Valley.
The John Deere 6930 tractor, which is worth £70,000, is fitted with a variety of security technology and tags and is being taken to countryside events by neighbourhood teams, in a bid to reduce crime.
It has been fitted with an electronic immobiliser which requires a unique code number to be typed in to allow the tractor to be started. The tractor has also been fitted with a tracker system as well as CESAR which means it has been microchipped and datatags have been applied to give it unique product identification. A tracker has also been installed to allow the vehicle to be recovered if it is stolen. All of these features can reduce insurance premiums.
The tractor has been loaned to Thames Valley Police by Farol tractor dealers and when itโs not being used, is being kept at their dealership in Thame.
The tractor is being managed by PC Paul Gregory from the Thame Neighbourhood Team. He said: โThe tractor acts as an engagement tool at large countryside events.
โWe have fitted it with as much security technology as possible and are using it to draw people in and allow us to explain why it is vital tractors and other farm equipment is made as secure as possible.
โThe average new tractor costs around £60,000 but this can rise to £120,000, which makes it equivalent equates to an entry level Porsche 911 or a Bentley.
โAnyone with one of these vehicles would protect them as much as possible, and at the very least fit them with a tracker and anti-theft device and I hope this tractor will allow us to promote the same idea for agricultural vehicles and machinery.
โI would like to extend our thanks to Farol and John Deere for supporting this initiative and allowing us to use their tractor.โ
The scheme is also being supported by the NFU Mutual. Although they donโt have a requirement for tractors to be fitted with tracking devices, discounts are available in insurance premiums if security features are added.
In 2010, 228 plant and agricultural vehicles were stolen in the Thames Valley. In 2009, there were 254 similar offences. Last year in England and Wales 1,975 tractors and other agricultural vehicles were stolen at a cost to the NFU Mutual well in excess of £10m.
Nick Gilbert Crime Prevention and Reduction Advisor for Rural and Business Crime, said: โWhilst itโs true that plant theft is a real issue for us all, not least our local rural economy, we are working hard to try and reduce the impact upon our communities by running a number of overt and covert operations.
โI obviously canโt comment on the covert aspects of our work, but in addition to the tractor initiative, in conjunction with our regional police partners, we have produced a DVD product called โShutting the Gate on Rural Crimeโ that is being made available to all farms and small holdings within the Thames Valley. The DVD and booklet cover a wide range for rural issues from poaching through to plant theft and are available upon request.
โI addition to this, we also offer a 20 per cent discount in the fitting of the CESAR product and this has proven to be very popular as well as effective in reducing the opportunity to steal.
โIn terms of plant theft itself, it should be kept in mind that the Thames Valley Police area covers three counties of which huge areas are rural in nature so, while itโs an issue thatโs causing our residents difficulties, we are working hard to resolve it. To get an idea of the reality of what we are dealing with, divide the Force figures by three and youโll see that our efforts are paying off.โ
A full list of events where the tractor will be appearing is available on request from the police force.
