How Farmers joining NAITS and help the PLPU achieve success as Bigger Fines needed

“Our operations are intelligence led. We have to be aware of what exists, how persons go about engaging in these criminal activities and what are their strategies”

Sergeant Damion Harry commenting on the work of the PLPU (Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit) during a JIS ‘Think Tank

The fight against Praedial larceny began with the launch of the Ministry of Agriculture's NAITS (National Animal Identification and Traceability System) Initiative as announced in my blog article entitled  “Ministry of Agriculture rolling out NAITS - How Jamaican Police with smartphones will Improve Meat Quality for Export while fighting Praedial Larceny”.

Part of that initiative was the formation of a special Police Unit to tackle this growing problem in farming. Well that unit, aptly called the PLPU (Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit), has arrested  and prosecuted some fifty (50)  thieves since its incepting three (3) months ago as announced in the article “More Than 50 Persons Prosecuted For Praedial Larceny”, published May 4, 2015 by Judith A. Hunter, The Jamaica Information Service.

PLPU success against Praedial Larceny – Bigger Fines needed to deter would-be Thieves

This announcement comes to us courtesy of Sergeant Damion Harry, who made the announcement JIS ‘Think Tank as reported by the Horses' Mouth, The Jamaica Information Service. His main grouse; the fines under the Praedial Larceny Act are too small, averaging some JA$20,000 once someone is caught charged and convicted of the offense.

By contrast, a typical cow can sell for JA$80,000 and JA$150,000 or 1 semester at the MICO University College for those doing the Professional Diploma in Teaching. If the thief steals five (5) cows, that's JA$500,000 or basically the tuition for the Master's Program in Digital Technology at the University of the West Indies.

To quote Seargeant Damion Henry, who is lobbying for higher punitive fines for those caught an convicted of Praedial Larceny: “Even though persons are caught, arrested and taken before the courts,  the perpetrator will still have a large sum on money in his position, so the fine is not acting as deterrent, so we are lobbying for harsher penalties”.

NAITS PLPU convicts 50 of Praedial Larceny – Thieves mainly in Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth

Under the Praedial Larceny Act, the breaking, uprooting or picking of produce in a growing state qualifies as Praedial Larceny. There are apparently different types of Praedial Larceny.

Sergeant Damion Harry made this subtle technical distinction clear, quote: “So, while we use the term loosely, not all farm thefts are Praedial larceny. There is the possession of agricultural produce without a receipt; larceny of cattle, the killing of an animal with intent to steal, unlawful possession of property and simple larceny”.

This too is in need of amendment along with the fines for Praedial Larceny, so that all forms of Praedial Larceny carry the same fine. After all, that’s my tuition you're messing with!

Curiously according to the PLPU representative, Praedial Larceny is highs in the following Parishes:

1.      Manchester

2.      Clarendon

3.      St. Elizabeth

St. Thomas has the lowest cases of praedial larceny, possibly because most St. Thomas residents do farming for a living. In the aforementioned parishes, the residents have other types of work and not mainly faming, making them prey to those not gainfully employed and seeking to steal the farmer’s hard work.

How Farmers registering to have animals tagged and Receipt books help the PLPU

However, more farmers need to jump onto the NAITS initiative and have their livestock registered and get the receipt book as pointed out by Sergeant Damion Harry, quote: “We stand ready to assist farmers, but if we are going to enforce the law, farmers must be prepared to comply with the law by ensuring that they are registered and also to purchase receipt books from the Jamaica Agricultural Society”.

This registration process will result in the Farmers receiving a Receipt Book to show ownership of their livestock as well as biometric Tags to be placed on their cattle in order to make them traceable as noted in my blog article entitled  “Min. of Agriculture proposes DNA Database for Cattle and Livestock – How RFID Biometric Markers can curtail Praedial Larceny and Develope Agro Processing for Export”.

Hopefully the PLPU will get Drones in order to expand their ability to catch Praedial Larceny thieves, even at night as noted in my blog article entitled  “NAITS Initiative launched at Denbigh Agricultural Show 2014 – How May Pen Police will work to reduce Praedial Larceny with Drones to come by 2017”.

Combined with the recently launched Drone initiative to patrol the waters of the Pedro Cays as noted in my blog article entitled  “Jamaican Drone Contractors Testing Drones in Pedro Cays – Why Ministry of Agriculture needs Drones to catch Poachers in the Act”, we may yet break the back of this Praedial Larceny Problem in Jamaica, both on land as well as in our Territorial waters.