THE police are targeting abattoirs and market to elimate the practice of stolen agricultural items being sold at these establishments as part of the anti-crime plan, National Security Minister Robert Montague announced.

According to Montague, praedial larceny is high on the agenda of his ministry and, over the last two weeks, there have been several raids by the security forces at markets and places where animals are slaughtered.

He pointed out that this is being done under the intensified anti-crime effort called Operation Tidal Wave, as there is a commitment to protect farmers’ investments from thieves.

“As we seek to increase production, we must ensure that the farmer gets the full return from his investment,” the minister told scores of people attending the 30th anniversary ceremony of the St Mary Agri-Expo, held Monday at the Grays Inn Sports Complex, in Annotto Bay in the parish.

The minister explained that the anti-crime plan is not just having more police personnel on the streets, but to have a presence in places where thieves tend to trade people’s goods stolen from farms and other places.

“We need to make people understand that the sacrifice that our farmers are making, they should reap the full benefit,” he said, noting that his ministry and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries are working closely to reduce the theft of agricultural produce.

Meanwhile, Jamaica Agricultural Society President Norman Grant welcomed the intensified effort against crime and reiterated his call for a victim compensation fund to be set up, financed from assets owned by persons convicted of stealing produce from farmers.

There is a Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit which coordinates its work out of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries. Its operations are executed under the direct responsibility of Deputy Superintendent of Police Kevin Francis.