I can recall to look at was young boy living in rural Kentucky, my family leaving the house and never locking panels, the car sitting inside driveway was often left all day and night with keys in the ignition and our barn together with utility buildings were secured to maintain out the four legged varmints, as you move the two legged variety where seldom a consideration. Our tractor didn’t use a key! We were thankful we didn’t are in town where all the world’s problems thrived.
I not any longer enjoy that sense associated with security; no more can we leave our small farm for a trip to town while using the same feeling and confidence that all will be well. Nor should i personally know anyone else that feels that way.
Yes, the “sin with the city” has found its way to the back roads, farms and pastures of rural America. It’s always been there not surprisingly and our sense with security was false and I now know that we were mostly fortunate. I say mostly because things were indeed considerably different. Neighbors looked out for one another and the “bad guys” knew it. Television, movies, books didn’t glorify the kind of character required to take from someone even though they could and laws were usually on the side of the victim.
Many thieves today see farm areas as easy pickings. How come? Because they are!
Pick up any small town newspaper and you should see report after report of someone who has lost equipment to robbers. Millions of dollars in equipment, livestock and tools is lost to thieves each year, never to be recovered and returned to the owner.
While stolen agricultural property is usually recovered, much is not returned due to lack of proper and effective identification of the equipment. In some circumstances, the suspected thief is not convicted because there is absolutely no proof that the items obtained in his possession are stolen not actually his property.
Let’s encounter it my fellow country folk and homesteaders, these types of crimes is no more time just an urban issue. With an increase inside theft of tools and equipment from farms and ranches, it is time for individuals change our approach on certain issues. A lot of people consider only big ticket items as being targeted, but the North american Sheriff’s Association reports which items stolen include company saws, grinders, automotive equipment, compressors, equestrian related items, sheds; fencing, irrigation and sprinkler heads from farms; and batteries and radios tractors, combines, or other farm vehicles. Actually it is usually items that are light and convenient to carry and can be sold quickly are targeted. Furthermore, many thefts go unreported for a variety of reasons. One reason often cited may be the owner does not know exactly when the theft took place and wrongly assumes that nothing can be done about it. This is faulty thinking. As soon you know you are a victim of theft… REPORT THAT!
We all know equipment and tools is expensive. Chances are that you really came into possession of the equipment because you vital it. If you vital it once, you are likely to need it again together with replacing those items expense money. If you paid $400. 00 for a chainsaw to cut wood for the winter and it is stolen, if it is not really recovered and you are forced to replace it with the exact same type or similar saw, your wood cutting expenses just doubled for the next season’s cutting. Statistics show that you usually tend to have stolen property returned if it is properly marked than if it is not and all you have is a description. However if the stolen property is not reported, then you have zero chance for getting it back.
Things you can do.
We should just about all discourage theft by properly marking all equipment. Some say that although marking equipment may increase the likelihood of it being returned when stolen, it does little to avoid it from being taken from the outset. At first glance, this may seem accurate, but another measure should be simple signage. By placing several signs on your property that clearly states your property is being watched and that all of your current equipment is marked does indeed indeed discourage theft. Have you approached someone’s house where a sign was posted that will stated “Beware of Pet? ” I am betting that you took a good shop around before you entered that yard! It’s the same reasoning. It causes thieves to trust twice by increasing their own sense of risk while at the same time reducing their sense associated with reward.
To effectively mark your equipment you should use a metal engraver together with clearly mark your equipment which has a permanent identification number including your SSN, the serial phone number, driver’s license number, your last name along with the last four numbers to your social security number. Some people even make use of a simple symbol for example a mushroom, crescent moon or other logo. I can forewarn you though; if you have never used an engraver, “drawing” with some may be not as easy jointly might think and your symbol may turn out nothing like people intended.
Metal stamping kits are another smart way to mark your equipment and once set up with several or number/name combination the work of marking numerous items is considerably faster.
Both of these items can often be borrowed from your nearby sheriff’s office, police department or CO-OP and even some insurance companies loan them out for the reason that know the value involving properly marking property.
Each time you purchase or acquire a new piece of equipment, you should make a habit of marking it. Speaking from experience, we often buy used equipment that can require us to carry out these tasks ourselves, but if you ever buy a new tool from your dealer, you may even be able to get them to professionally mark it being a condition of sale. It would be considerably more useful in comparison to the standard key fob, coffee mug or ink pen with the logo that is usually given away with a sale.
Now that you have properly marked the different tools and equipment that you can’t live without what now ??
In addition to that marking process, you need to maintain a written inventory in the items marked, the date we were looking at purchased or acquired, a description and the number, name or symbol with that they were marked. For increased identification and recovery purposes, include a photograph. Photos are specially helpful for the uncommon or larger and significant ticket items. When you take the picture, try to include some permanent aspect of your farm, ranch or property inside background such as property, barn or outbuilding. This simply adds validation for a claim for insurance purposes and can increase the chance of conviction should the thief be captured and tried.
Remember that some types of equipment may have several components each having its own serial number. You have to ensure that each these are marked and recorded separately.
Marking the device
All items ought to be marked twice in a pair of separate locations. One marking should be located somewhere so that it is easy for the authorities to find it should it be stolen and recovered. Also, using the identical markings, stamp or engrave that in an area that’s not so obvious and preferably known just to you.
Thieves may be aware of I. D. markings and attempt to cover, sand or routine the marking making them unreadable.
Below are some tips to properly and effectively amount your equipment:
– Which has a welder on large equipment and when possible to mark As i. D. is extremely effective because it requires lots of effort to attempt to help grind it out and not many amount of paint are able to effectively cover it quite possibly from casual observation.
– Pitted or painted surfaces should be sanded to ensure some sort of mark
– If you generate a mistake or the selection is blurred, DO NOT SAND OR GRIND THE IDEA OUT. Simply mark directly under the blurred imprint.
Selling or trading marked equipment
If you sell or trade all of your marked equipment, be sure to inform the new owner to enable them to either record the marking on their own records or re-mark it in order that it is consistent with their own other marked equipment.
This may seem like lots of work… and depending on how much equipment you have, it can be really. But you only ought to mark each item and maintain your records as soon as you add more equipment. If you have some reliable help in the form of a bored teenager, recruit him/her to do this task after cautious instruction… or effective coercion!
Stay safe!!