Horse owners are being invited to a new series of events to help protect property from criminals targeting rural stables and outbuildings.
As part of North Yorkshire Police’s Horsewatch scheme, in the coming months officers will be at venues near Harrogate, Richmond and York offering free tack marking sessions.
Using sophisticated property marking technology, leather items of tack can be marked with a unique number – deterring would-be thieves and making it much easier to reunite stolen property and secure convictions.
PC Hannah McPeake, of the force’s Rural Taskforce, said:
North Yorkshire continues to be a very safe place, and thankfully levels of equestrian crime are low. Unfortunately over the last few weeks a number of stables and tack rooms have been targeted, particularly in the Harrogate area, and so it’s more important than ever to be vigilant and take steps to protect your high-value tack.
Marking items of property is one of the most effective ways of deterring criminals. Our property marking service is fast and free, so please make a note of the date of your nearest event and come along on the day.
The events follow a warning earlier this month about a series of break-ins, particularly in the Harrogate area. In the light of these incidents, getting your tack marked is all the more important.
The tack marking drop-in sessions will take place as follows:
- Saturday 12 November 2016 between 12pm and 3pm, at Beaver Horse Shop, Windmill Farm, Otley Rd, nr. Beckwithshaw, Harrogate HG3 1QL
- Saturday 3 December 2016 between 12.30pm and 2.30pm, at Millbryhill, Broken Brea Farm, Easby, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 7EY
- Sunday 4 December 2016 between 12pm and 3pm at RideAway, Stillington Road, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, YO61 1EH
Leather items of tack can be marked with a unique number using a dot peen property marking machine. (Synthetic tack or padded bridles cannot be marked using dot peen).
Dot peen marking involves using a tungsten carbide-tipped pin to indent an object with dots to create a visible, permanent number. The unique number will be entered onto the national Immobilise property register database, vastly increasing the chances that it will be reunited with its owner if it is lost or stolen.
Horse owners and enthusiasts are also invited to follow the Horsewatch scheme on social media – via NYP Horsewatch on Facebook, and @NYP_Horsewatch on Twitter – so they can find out about future events and be made aware of any equestrian crimes in their area. To get in touch with the scheme, email horsewatch@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce works proactively alongside colleagues, partners and volunteers to increase engagement with rural communities, target criminals who offend in our rural areas, and provide bespoke crime prevention advice to those at risk of criminality.
You can meet members of the Taskforce at community events throughout the year, including markets, auctions and shows. You can also follow the team’s work on Twitter at @NYPRuralTF or via the North Yorkshire Police Rural Task Force Facebook page.
