Rural crime hit the fan again when the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) debated two resolutions on agricultural theft and rural crime at its annual convention in Saskatoon on March 13-16.
The media immediately fanned the flames, trying to connect these resolutions to a farm shooting near Biggar last August. Some reactions in the press 鈥� notably from non-agricultural/non-rural quarters 鈥� have labelled the resolutions as inciting violence and giving carte blanche to farmers to run around toting weapons.
Besides being a gross misinterpretation of the resolutions or their intentions, such accusations only inflame stereotypes of rural residents. Moreover, these groups show themselves to be out of touch with the reality of rural living these days. Theft continues to be much more common in rural Saskatchewan than any urban dwellers realize, and it has been so for generations. 鈥淐attle rustlers鈥� have had a long infamous history on the Western Prairies. Hollywood has created more than a few spaghetti Westerns around this theme.
But we don鈥檛 have to reach too far back in history for an example of rural crime either. On the very day that SARM debated its resolutions and the media was in a frenzy, two people were busy stealing cattle from a ranch near Ormiston. Three little vulnerable calves less than a week old were loaded on a Ford extended cab truck. The rancher lost several thousands of dollars in stock and is unlikely to get them back. These calves will likely be rebranded, pastured in a remote field and sold amongst the hubbub of the fall cattle run. The irony should not be lost on those opposed to SARM鈥檚 resolutions.
Practically every farmer in Saskatchewan has a story of pilfered cattle, hay, grain, tools, machinery and even vegetables. Much of this property theft is unreported because it is unlikely to be recovered or the perpetrator caught.
The peaceful Saskatchewan countryside provides innumerable criminal temptations. There are thousands of acres of unprotected lands, unwatched livestock herds and unsupervised farmhouse properties. In fact, it鈥檚 a security nightmare. By the police鈥檚 own calculations, theft has been on the rise in Saskatchewan in the past couple of years after a long decade of decline. Sociologists will tell you that this happens during economic downturns. When times are tough and jobs are lost or cut back, some resort to taking property that doesn鈥檛 belong to them to keep up their lifestyle. Surveying the security gaps that exist on farms, the media seems to miss the point that much more crime could occur, but it is a testament to the law-abiding nature of rural residents that levels remain fairly low.
The RCMP stays out of the debate. While they sympathize with rural residents, they can only enforce what laws exist. The police advise ranchers and farmers to first use prevention and safety measures. Does this mean that the sleepy countryside in Saskatchewan is destined to turn into militarized farm zones? Possibilities are endless. Farmers could beef up on security with DNA typing of all farm livestock, passports for each head of cattle, drones patrolling the skies over fields, security cameras covering every angle, tall fences topped by barbed wire and a lot of German Shepherds on watch.
The RCMP have a tough enough job in rounding up the bad guys and Wild West legislation makes their job all that much tougher. Therefore, SARM has taken a sensible approach in joining other agricultural and rural-based organizations in lobbying our legislators for a shift in perspective 鈥� to help property owners and victims of crime. The SARM membership has recognized a persistent issue among its membership and hoped to resolve it through civilized discussions at a negotiating table and not, as some might want to portray them, at a high noon showdown.
