FARM safety and security was front and centre for Victoria Police at Sheepvention, with officers sharing tips and giving advice to locals across the two days.

Acting Sargeant Graeme Cox was part of the group of officers in attendance and said the stall had many different objectives.

“We want to highlight police recruiting, as well as focusing on farm crime and community safety.

“Giving out brochures to people, and it gives the general public an overview to all the things police do.”

Farm security and safety was one of the key focuses, educating the community on expectations and processes that will help keep them, the family and belongings safe.

“We hone in on farmers needing to keep their gates locked, they can have signs saying private property and surveillance,” Act Sgt Cox said.

“I am also the division firearms officer, so I want to make sure farmers secure their firearms in a proper gun safe and have them not so far away from the house.

“Don’t keep them in a shed a kilometre from the house, because you can’t see it, so put them in your house, lock them away and bolt the safe to the floor and wall, to help keep an opportune thief from stealing your firearms.”

With farm crime making up a decent percentage of crime in the region, Act Sgt Cox said people could take steps not to make the process easier, should they have anything stolen.

“It would be a medium percentage, we get a lot of farmers come to us after a few months saying ‘I’ve lost 30 head of sheep, or I have lost a tractor or fuel or tools’,” he said.

“When they do, make sure you have all your tools photographed, serial numbers logged and have them ready for police to get that information to help ID the tools if they’re found at a later date.

“Make sure you check your gates and if your neighbour does happen to find some stock out, that they know what number to call so you can go and pick it up, so it isn’t just a statistic on the road being hit by truck or car.”