GPS Stolen From Tractor in Hurley

Inc 82 of 30/7/21

Sometime between midnight and 00.30hrs on Thursday morning (29th July), unknown offender(s) entered a rural property in Hurley and stole a Trimble GPS system from a tractor.

If you saw any vehicles parked up around this time in the area, especially around Hurley or Baxterley please let us know.

If you saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area, or have any information that could help the police with their enquiries, possible CCTV or Dash-cam footage, please contact us by either advising us online at www.warwickshire.police.uk, by email to ruralwatch@warwickshire.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, referring to the incident number stated. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you have similar equipment of any make, where possible, please lock away when not in use, visibly mark the equipment with the property name and postcode, record all serial numbers and refer to the following advice :

If you have this kind of system on your tractor, please consider the following precautions:

• Remove all GPS guidance receivers, aerials or antenna globes when not in use and keep them locked away in a secure locked place when possible.
• Consider fitting security tethers or brackets to stop units being removed.
• Property mark your equipment visibly and invisibly with either a forensic solution such as Smartwater, Datatag, Selecta DNA or a UV pen, and engrave, permanent highlighter pen or oil based paint to visibly show the property name and postcode on all parts of the unit.
• Put signs up stating property is marked.
• Store machinery inside locked barns if possible. Where locking machines away isn’t an option, consider fitting mains or battery- operated alarms to outbuildings or beam alarms around the perimeter of areas where machines are stored.
• Consider fitting a tracker or other monitoring device in the equipment.
• CCTV and intruder alarms covering all areas are a good deterrent and ensure they are checked regularly.
• Record machinery serial numbers and take photographs for reference to help police identify stolen items and increase the chances of them being recovered.
• Let employees know the security arrangements that are expected of them while working on the farm.
• Encourage all farm staff are vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour or vehicles to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
• If you have a system with a security pin set up ensure this is done.  If unsure contact your dealer. .
• Join Warwickshire Rural Watch to receive alerts, news and crime prevention advice at www.warwickshireruralwatch.co.uk and put up Rural Watch gate signs on your farm.

For further crime prevention advice, please see the attached advice sheet and go to our websites at www.warwickshire.police.uk and www.warwickshireruralwatch.co.uk.

Thank you for your assistance with this incident.