Sussex Police are investigating thefts of GPS equipment worth £130,000 from farms around the county.
An investigation has begun looking at four recent incidents which targeted farms near Chichester and Worthing.
Criminals stole GPS equipment worth £130,000 from 25 tractors, the police said.
The kits, which can cost up to £30,000, are used to steer and control tractors with up to 1cm of accuracy.
West Sussex farmer and NFU county chairman Mark Chandler explained that the most serious impact of GPS thefts was the disruption to farming operations.
“It takes about a week to replace a GPS system and get it set up ready for work, and that can mean missing a weather window putting a crop growth cycle at risk,” he said.
“These thefts are part of an ongoing crimewave with farmers feeling they are under siege from criminals ranging from hare coursers and opportunist thefts of tools to high organised gangs stealing expensive equipment.
“Crime is now a constant worry because police response can be very slow – it took 25 minutes for police to get to our farm the last time we were targeted.”
A Sussex Police spokesman confirmed the investigation: “They are working with colleagues across the force, and nationally, to deal with this issue, which has been seen in other areas of the country although not so far in other areas of Sussex.”
He added that officers are working with farmers and rural communities to deter and detect criminality.
Figures show that rural crime cost the UK £50m in 2018 as brazen criminals continue to target farmers' livelihoods.
Anyone with information regarding the Sussex incidents are urged to contact police on 101 quoting serial 451 of 24/02.
NFU Mutual's tractor GPS security advice
• Remove GPS guidance receivers, aerials and antenna globes from tractors when not in use and keep them in a secure locked place whenever possible
• Consider fitting security tethers or brackets to stop units being removed
• Mark your post code on GPS units either with a UV pen, engraving tool of forensic marking system such as Datatag
• Store machinery in locked buildings whenever possible
• Where locking machines away isn’t an option, consider fitting mains or battery-operated alarms to cover around the perimeter of areas where machines are stored
• CCTV and intruder alarms will deter most thieves, but make sure they are checked regularly to ensure they will work when you need them and they are placed where they won’t be triggered by animals or foliage moving in the wind
• Record machinery serial numbers and photograph kit to help police identify stolen items and increase the chances of them being recovered
• Let employees know the security arrangements that are expected of them while working on the farm
• Join local farmwatch or social media security groups to keep in touch with rural crime trends in your area
• Encourage farm staff to be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour or vehicles to the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency
