Western Region Commander and NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Rural Crime, Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie, was joined by Police Minister Troy Grant yesterday to highlight the impact of rural crime and how people can report incidents.

Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said rural crimes are serious offences and can have a substantial impact on the livelihood of farmers.

“The theft of livestock, produce and equipment; illegal shooting, trespassing and other rural crimes can have a devastating effect on farmers, the community and the industry as a whole,” Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.

“We take every rural crime seriously; however, we’ve found it continues to go unreported because victims often believe there’s no proof, it’s not serious enough to warrant police investigation, or they think nothing can be done.

“We came together today to send a very clear message of support to NSW farmers and the wider community that that’s simply not the case.”

The NSW Police Force has a network of specialist Rural Crime Investigators who assist farmers in addressing rural crime.

“Our experienced team of Rural Crime Investigators are very dedicated and often operate their own properties, giving them an innate understanding of the industry, and the challenges they face,” Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.

“The community can therefore be confident that they’re in capable hands, and a thorough and professional investigative service is available to assist if required.

Minister Grant said the Government was working on several fronts to see rural crime rates reduced.