Theft is increasing

[Squash64]

Has anyone else noticed an increase in theft on their allotments?

We seem to be having more and more things being stolen and it's
getting so bad that I've contacted the local police (email) this morning.

Last week the council replaced a metal tap (previous one was plastic)
and within a couple of days it was stolen.

My neighbour's pickaxe was taken from his plot.

One person's water butt was stolen.

Other people have told me that they have had tools stolen.

Some have had rhubarb picked, and last year had strawberries stolen.

They are all minor things, and in the great scheme of things are not
very serious but they are making people suspicious of each other.

I'm hoping a PCSO could come over at different times, and just walk
around.  We are only over the road from a police station.

[Squash64]

[BarriedaleNick]

We had a bad start to last year when loads of stuff got nicked - only to find most of it as someone had been using all our gardening kit to grow weed in the woods nearby.
This year we have had no reports so far...

[macmac]

Looking at the price of potatoes in the shops we'll have to guard our crop.
I paid £1.75 for a large savoy last week 

[Flighty]

There was recently considerable damage to the doors of several permanent buildings on our site, as well as padlocks snapped off some of the bigger sheds but thankfully little was taken.
The council, who own the site, clearly weren't very interested  nor were the police who took four days to come and have a cursory look round then seemed bored to be doing do as well as not being particularly polite.

[BarriedaleNick]

Luckily the chairman on our site is an ex copper (in fact the road from which I take my name was virtually all police at some point) so he has a little influence over the local force..
He recommends reporting every theft through official channels as they are all recorded and I think viewable online.  If there are a few in an area it will come to the attention of the local bobbies and they will be under pressure to keep the numbers down.

[Flighty]

We report all incidents to both the council and the police. 
One of things the police said this time was that we were wasting both ours and their time, and they were reluctant to give us a crime number.  It's little wonder that I continue to have little respect for, or trust in, the police.

[kt.]

We report all incidents to both the council and the police. 
One of things the police said this time was that we were wasting both ours and their time, and they were reluctant to give us a crime number.   

Plotholders are encouraged to report allotment crimes. We do tend to get an increased police presence around the site after reporting.  I have good relations with our PCSO and local police regarding our site.  Another reason for ensuring things are reported is in case there are any trends around other sites - allotment watch.  We are also informed of increased crime from other sites too.

If you don't report it then the police are not aware of any problems and will continue to think everything is fine.

[Squash64]

Thanks for the replies.

I see that some of you do report theft to the police - would this include things
like crops? 

[kt.]

Thanks for the replies.

I see that some of you do report theft to the police - would this include things
like crops?

If there are several instances of crop thefts then yes, and always if there has been vandalism to gain access.   But we always inform our local PCSOs and council.  Notices are also put up around site of about any spates of theft.

[hippydave]

ive just got back from the plot, called in from work to pick some asparagus for dinner and both of my metal builders wheelbarrows have gone, looked round the site to see if anyone had borrowed them and forgot to return them but they are no where to be seen.

[chriscross1966]

I'm glad security on my site is pretty good comapred to some, as the freezer ran down this spring (I still have a fair amount, but you know how it is) I was horriofied by the cost of veg that I though tof as being "easy English stuff"... apart from the occasional ALdi/Lidl offers I wouldn't have bought sprouts (I had loads and theyy  cost me very little to grow) , the price of cabbages and savoys seemed insane, parsnips, celeriac....  thankfully I'm still eating green beans and braodies form last year, though this years green bean crop is about to start with the greenhose grown Speedies.... .... the daft thing is if I've got a glut anyway and someone asks, I'd give them a load of whatever without a moments hesitation...

[Digeroo]

Found someone has some of my bean canes, except I now put my initials on them so I can spot them easily. 

You can always tell when someone breaks 8 ft canes into pieces that they did not pay for them.

[taurus]

I must admit after the losses last year I've been dividing some crops between the garden and my plot, in the hope that will reduce the loss a little bit.  What with the loss of the Swindon card discount for OAPs this coming year and the thieving last year I'm redoing the garden at home so as to grow more stuff there. The OH is not happy, but I told him to look on the bright side he won't have any lawn to cut soon     The problem with our site there are gated acssess from the houses onto the site from years ago. To be fair to the council they are trying to block the problem ones, but its the same old story, money and labour costs.