Farm crime in Ireland: Findings from a national survey of farmers on victimisation, experiences of crime, attitudes to police and justice.

• In Event: ERC Panel 1: Current Perspective on Rural Criminology

Abstract

There has been a growing public discussion about rural crime in Ireland emerging in recent years that presents rural areas as under a sustained crime wave in which farmers, farm machinery and livestock are the targets for mobile criminals. While farm based crime is only one dimension of rural crime, it is nonetheless the subject of ongoing media and political discussion which often raises untested assumptions about the nature of victimisation. Despite this there has been very little investment in studies focusing specifically on farm crime as a contemporary phenomenon. The paper reports from the findings of a survey of 1,333 farmers in the Republic of Ireland carried out in the Autumn of 2022. Findings indicate that while farmers are in favour of taking crime prevention measures themselves, comparatively few report that they implement measures on their farms. In addition, there is relatively low take up of some organised crime prevention interventions, property marking for example. The paper considers some policy and practice measures along with directions for further research.

Authors

• Matt Bowden, TU Dublin

• Nicola Hughes, Technological University Dublin