VFF calls for Police crackdown on livestock theft

VFF Livestock Group President Chris Nixon has written to Victorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland requesting a meeting to discuss ways to deal with the issue head on.

“Livestock theft is perhaps one of the oldest and most widely known crimes in Australia. We’ve grown up listening to how the jolly swagman hid the jumbuck in his tucker bag. Yet here in Victoria we currently have no dedicated police resourcing to livestock theft, as is the case in other state jurisdictions,” Mr Nixon said.

“The combination of high livestock prices, especially for sheep, and no dedicated police resourcing for livestock theft makes this type of crime an easy and lucrative target for thieves. I personally have had around 40 head of cattle stolen from my property over a 12 month period; and at $600 - $700 a head it’s quite an expensive experience to go through.

“Based on reported incidents stock theft has cost the rural sector $871,692 in 2003-04, and $542,784 in 2006-07. As fluctuations in livestock prices make up a large amount of this variation, due to the current record high livestock prices the VFF estimate the cost to industry to be greater than $1 million over the 2009-10 period.

“While the VFF encourages our members to report any incidences of stock theft to the police, we are concerned that the figures we do have are grossly underestimated as apathy often sees livestock theft going unreported.

“To properly address stock theft we need to increase police resourcing for specialised training; increase penalties for convictions; and widen the laws to include enablers of stock theft. Any accessories to the crime found to assist in the trading of stolen livestock should face the same penalty as the original thief.

“I look forward to the possibility of meeting with Commissioner Overland to discuss the best measures to put in place to ensure rural taxpayers receive the same police resourcing as that of their city counterparts,” Mr Nixon concluded.