As part of efforts to combat the scourge of praedial larceny, which is costing farmers up to $5 billion annually, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, conducted 3,849 special operations/raids in 2022/23.

Additionally, 30 farm watch groups were established, 142 arrests were made relating to breaches of the relevant legislation, and 52 praedial larceny-related offences were reported officially for the period.

This was disclosed by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Pearnel Charles Jr as he made his contribution to the 2023/24 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

“Addressing praedial larceny requires a multifaceted approach that involves the active participation of farmers, law enforcement, and the Government. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries continues to encourage and support farmers to organise into groups, which not only helps in production but also makes the community unit more vigilant and protected,” Charles Jr said.

He told his colleagues that the training of the security forces has been expanded “to better equip them to address these crimes” and has reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to rid Jamaica of praedial larceny and illegal, unregulated and unreported fisheries.

Said Charles Jr: “We understand the debilitating impact of these crimes and also note the brazen and increasingly organised nature. When we consider the many families that have suffered loss of produce and life arising from these criminal activities, we are justified in making the effort to rid Jamaica of this scourge a priority.”

The minister shared that parallel to JCF operations, the Praedial Larceny Prevention Unit conducted 13 sensitisation sessions with Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) extension officers islandwide to increase awareness among internal stakeholders regarding the relevance of various pieces of legislation, the implementation, and usage of the ministry’s traceability systems.

Additionally, nine training sessions were conducted for JCF personnel (station, divisional, and area commanders) across all 19 geographic police divisions, while 440 police personnel were trained on how to effectively investigate praedial larceny cases and prepare case files.

Also, 58 public education initiatives were completed; 130 farmers were sensitised during a series of sessions islandwide, which included representatives from respective JCF divisional headquarters, Community Safety and Security, RADA, JAS, and public health.