ROUND UP THE POSSE & DONT FORGET YOUR BLACKBERRYS
By CAPTAIN TIM HAGEL
VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Our Sheriff’s Department mission statement states that our part of protecting life and property is “responding to public concerns in a manner which promotes neighborhoods free from the fear of crime.”
In practical sense, this guiding principle refers to the depth of community cooperation needed between law enforcement, school districts, community organizations and their families to foster safe and secure communities.
The application of community oriented police practices and modern technology to our rural communities is a vital part of the responsibility of a sheriff.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s “Farm Watch” program was created out of the same spirit of community partnerships. “Farm Watch” relies on social networking interactivity. It is essentially grass roots, inexpensive, two-way communication tool between law enforcement and farmers. It grew out of shared frustration over rural thefts and developed into a successful partnership.
HISTORY:
Our Department was looking for non-traditional ways to counter the surge of agricultural thefts that ravaged farmers and ranchers between 2007 and 2009. During that period, the worldwide price of metals reached an all-time high. Who would have thought that the economic boom and spot price for copper in China affected a Ventura County farmer?
In 2008, when the problem was at it’s peak, it was common for deputies to respond to local ranchers or farmers, who had thousands of dollars worth of irrigation devices stolen, purely for their recycle value. Additionally, during this time, tractors, generators and utility vehicles were all disappearing at an exponential rate.
Opportunistic thieves had discovered the low risk advantage to fencing stolen farm accessories and implements through urban recycle centers. In response to the spike in rural crimes, California State Legislators passed AB 844 and SB447. Their quick actions helped put an end to the pattern of thieves making quick cash off of stolen farm equipment.
WATCH OUT:
Our Santa Clara Valley Sheriff’s Substation was getting hit particularly hard from these thefts. The Substation covers about 455 square miles within the county. The communities served are mostly agriculture based with endless miles of row crops, orchards, oilfields and cattle.
One day, a staff member assigned to the station was talking to a victim about a recent farm theft. The farmer was carrying a BLACKBERRY on his side and taking notes. The Station’s Sheriff Captain was impressed and decided to email the “tech savvy” farmer with rural theft prevention and apprehension information.
Soon , the e-mails were being forwarded to other ranchers and farmers. Within weeks, nurseries, oil production sites, farmers and ranchers were emailing and calling the station asking to be put on the “Farm Watch” e-mail list.
The name took root (no pun), and so did the birth of a virtual e-mail neighborhood watch program. Now, the program is in its second year and has grown to more than 400 farms, ranches, nurseries, oilfields, supply houses and agricultural support organizations.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Every other week, the rural members are sent a blind copy (for their computer security) e-mail newsletter. The newsletter is written by the respective Sheriff’s Substation and includes three elements: 1) short narrative descriptions describing the rural crime activities over the past two weeks. 2) crime prevention tips and PDF pictures catered to rural applications. 3) a crime occurrence map created by our Crime Analysis Unit.
In today’s world of social networking there is too much E-Information and not enough time. To insure the absorption of our information, the Farm Watch newsletter is only sent every two weeks. In our experience, too much trivial information or bombardment of insignificant emails will reduce the chances that members will, open, read and forward the emails.
ALERT-ALERT:
In the Fall of 2008, we had to warn local farmers and cattle ranchers about an imminent threat from a wind-driven wildfire that was out of control. The Department utilized traditional means such as media releases and reverse 911. At the same time, the wildfire Incident Commander also happened to be a member of the newly-formed Farm Watch. He suggested that we send an Alert to warn the farmers to start up their irrigation pumps. He asked us to use ‘Farm Watch.” His e-mail request was immediately sent and soon farmers were calling the station thanking the Sheriff’s Department for the “heads up.”
It was by accident that the birth of this second element of Farm Watch was born. We transitioned from solely a two-way virtual neighborhood watch group to a hybrid disaster alert system. It created a new way to supplement traditional reverse 911, media releases and other network communication means. Farm Watch Alerts grew side by side with the sister E-newsletter and they were tested during many recent critical situations.
Soon, the local animal control, fire department, agriculture, road maintenance and other public agencies began contributing and receiving the Farm Watch alerts and newsletter. It has become a model of communication in a time where people are thirsty for quick, reliable information.
TESTED:
Does it make a difference?
You bet. In Ventura County, farm-related crime dropped 24% this summer from a year ago. That comes on top of a significant drop from the same period in 2007. That year, we were chasing after rural thieves left and right. We were running on our own, but now we are helped with the extra eyes of 400 farmers. This crime fighting multiplying force-factor is impressive, and as our members keep forwarding the Sheriff’s Farm Watch email newsletters and alerts to their friends, we continue to grow.
In the fall of 2009 and Spring of 2009, Farm Watch members helped us solve numerous crimes. Recently, Farm Watch member Bob Pinkerton of Santa Paula was providing the Sheriff’s Department with information about a rash in avocado thefts. He had an unknown suspect sneaking into the orchards late at night and early morning. One day he was certain that he observed a possible suspect walking down a local street. He recalled it was the same male who had been trespassing in his large avocado orchard. Quick to act, he snapped a photo of the suspect from his cellular phone, emailed it to Farm Watch and deputies used the photo to identify the suspect. As it turned out, he was on probation for farm theft. The thefts stopped and without the Farm Watch connection it is unlikely that we would have ever caught the suspect.
The success-foundation of Farm Watch programs is the strong desire for its recipients to be able to contact a deputy with e-mail tips, questions and responses. It is a virtual two-way street. The result of Farm Watch is taking community oriented policing to the next level, decreased crime, increased public trust and a positive and cooperative approach to crime fighting.