A major new project to help tackle rural crime by tracking stolen agricultural vehicles is being launched in Bedfordshire.

The CESAR scheme is the latest initiative funded by the county’s Safer Streets project, which is focused on tackling neighbourhood crime issues such as anti-social behaviour and burglary.

A new half price discount will be available to Bedfordshire farmers on DataTags which have been known to assist policing teams to recover stolen agricultural equipment, like one excavator in Cheshire valued at almost £19,000.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has launched a new initiative worth £40,000, put aside in order to offer a half price discount to local farmers on CESAR security systems which are fitted to agricultural equipment and vehicles to deter against rural theft.

Rural community policing officers have been undergoing training on how to fit and track CESAR equipment, allowing them to engage with and work with local farmers to begin to issue out discounted DataTag systems.

Chief Inspector Jim Goldsmith, who is leading the introduction of the CESAR scheme into the force, said: “The CESAR scheme allows the police to easily identify farm vehicles and machinery and is a known deterrent against criminality on farms. 

“The CESAR registration database is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to provide support to police officers who are making enquiries about equipment stopped in suspicious circumstances with persons they suspect may have stolen it. Equipment can be checked and instantly the ownership of a machine can be determined.

“This is an invaluable tool to both farm owners and the police and is guaranteed to have an impact in reducing the levels of agricultural crime in Bedfordshire. As a force we are committed to working with local farmers to encourage reporting of rural thefts and identifying offenders as quickly as possible.”

Other schemes set to be delivered by the Safer Streets project this year include the funding of SmartWater tagging equipment, educational school programmes aimed at improving understanding of ASB, camouflaged CCTV cameras and mobile speed indicator devices.

Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Festus Akinbusoye, said: “Having heard of the success of CESAR schemes at constabularies across the country such as Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire, I am pleased to be able to offer funding towards a discounted rate on DataTags for our local farmers in Bedfordshire. 

“We are confident that this half price offer on CESAR data tagging systems will be a much welcomed and popular security measure amongst our local farmers, giving some reassurance with the security of their vital equipment.”

To order your half price CESAR system, please email enquiries@cesarscheme.org for a call back