Swine barns in southern Minnesota have recently become a target for thieves who have stolen hundreds of pigs from at least two farms in Nicollet County and Kandiyohi County. Minnesota law enforcement officials are urging pork producers across the country to step up security measures at their own farms.
“We haven’t had much trouble with situations like this before,” says Marc Chadderdon, a criminal investigator with the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Department, who noted that
many of the thefts in his area occurred from Aug. 14 to Sept. 17. “These cases can be tough to investigate, because they often aren’t reported right way.”
Investigators are attempting to learn the whereabouts of 150 pigs, which were stolen from a farm near Lafayette, Minn. The farm owner told deputies that he had gone in to cull all the market-ready pigs from his barns and found 150 animals missing.
Nicollet County investigators also are working with deputies from Kandiyohi County, where 590 pigs were stolen from a large livestock operation near Lake Lillian on Aug. 15. The value of those pigs is estimated at more than $100,000.
Investigators analyze the crimes
There are a number of similarities in these thefts, said Chadderdon, who notes that the perpetrators appear to be:
• Conducting surveillance. Anyone can go online to Google Earth and pinpoint the location of swine facilities. They also can identify the operations that are the most isolated, says Chadderdon, who also has been in contact with law enforcement officials in Lyon County, Iowa, who alerted him to this possibility.
• Thwarting alarm systems. In the Minnesota break-ins, the vandals cut through the ventilation curtain and bird netting on the side of the barns. “They cut near a post so the entry point wasn’t obvious,” Chadderdon says. While the Nicollet County farm had an alarm system, it wasn’t triggered by this style of break-in.
• Stealing animals that aren’t marked or tattooed. In addition, prime targets have been 250- to 275-pound animals that are ready for market. “Whoever is stealing the hogs appears to have some knowledge of the hog industry,” Chadderdon says.
• Selling the hogs as quickly as possible. Law enforcement officials suspect that the thieves are probably selling the stolen hogs at auction barns and may be moving 30 to 40 hogs at a time.
Protect yourself
Since producers make a large investment in their livestock and their farms, it’s important to take some simple steps to protect these assets. Specifically, Chadderdon encourages pork producers to:
• Conduct animal counts. Accurate numbers are key. “I know farmers don’t like to take the time to do this, but it’s the only way to know for sure if you’re missing any livestock,” Chadderdon says.
• Report suspicious activity. Don’t be afraid to contact local law enforcement officials if something seems amiss at your farm. “Also, if someone doesn’t normally sell hogs to your
auction barn or packing plant, or an existing customer is suddenly selling a lot more hogs than normal, don’t be afraid to report it,” Chadderdon says. “You can remain anonymous when you call the authorities.”
Also, check Pork.org for more farm security tips.