Huge portion of farm theft goes unreported

Some 45 per cent of praedial larceny cases go unreported. This is according to J.C. Hutchinson, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.

"Farmers' first course of action following the theft of their produce or livestock is to report it to the police," said Hutchinson, who was speaking at a virtual town hall meeting on June 10.

He argued that reporting incidents of praedial larceny is important if the scourge is to be eliminated.

"I want to encourage more farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture to come forward and make reports to the police. It is the only way we can fight back against the criminals," he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Clifford Blake, who is in charge of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's strategic operations portfolio, described praedial larceny as a form of organised crime, and reiterated the need for increased investigative capabilities in this area.

"We need to make sure our farmers have the confidence that they can report the incidents, in order for us to [effectively tackle this issue]. That is the only way we are going to be able to respond to the needs of our farmers. We need to elevate our investigative capabilities," Blake said.