Comments can be attributed to Constable Jacob Garrett, Mataura Police
Following a small number of stolen vehicles and burglaries in the Matuara area, Southland Police are reminding rural property owners to make security a priority.
A lot of reported thefts are committed by opportunist criminals looking for that insecure shed or a farm vehicle with keys in the ignition.
All the regular crime prevention advice applies to a rural setting, however, a few extra measures are required help keep your buildings, vehicles, machinery and stock safe:
· Check your boundaries and fence lines on regular basis.
· Clearly tag your animals.
· Remove keys from unattended vehicles.
· Mark or engrave tools with your licence number.
· Don’t leave firearms in vehicles.
· Always lock your property and auxilliary buildings when you leave, even if it's only for a short time.
· Keep in contact with your neighbours and let one another know if you see anything unusual.
We take burglary and theft incidents seriously, if you see anything suspicious, contact Police immediately.
Further prevention advice can be found at Police’s Rural Hub.