The Policing of Farm Crime

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a study that investigated the response of rural police to property-related victimisations on farms. Data for this research come from: (1) a survey among randomly selected farmers in New South Wales, Australia, supplemented by follow-up interviews with farmers who had been victims of crime; and (2) interviews with 36 rural police officers on their views about farm crime. The findings highlight the problems of policing and preventing agricultural crime within the physical, social, and cultural situation of rural communities.