A wave of crime is sweeping rural America, with organized gangs and petty thieves heisting commodities ranging from avocados to almonds, copper wires to palm trees. When fuel prices go up, we see a spike in gasoline thefts. Right now we’re seeing an epidemic of metal theft.

Agricultural theft cost US farmers an estimated five billion dollars in 2006-7, metal theft alone cost California farmers 10 million dollars in the same period. That’s the official figure; as many farmers do not report thefts, it is estimated the actual farm loss is nine-10 times greater than what’s being reported. Many of the stolen commodities are off-loaded to a buyer who is several hundred miles if not an ocean away from the scene of the original crime.

A big market for metals stolen on the West Coast of the United States is China, Agricultural crime is a very large problem and it’s growing bigger. But it’s ignored by policy-makers. The US federal government has created the Agricultural Crime, Technology, Information, and Operations Network (ACTION), but the program is in minimum operation mode because of budget delays.

Ventura County: Theft suspects have been seen casing Ventura County farms but they are not alone. Sheriff’s agriculture crimes detectives have been conducting surveillances of many avocado groves. Stealing more than $100 of agricultural crops is a felony. Last year, Sheriff’s detectives arrested 29 suspects and charged them with stealing over $115,000 dollars worth of local produce.

You are encouraged to provide agricultural theft tips to Ray Dominquez, Ventura Major Crimes/Agriculture Crimes Unit at 805-477-7029. Typical theft operations involve small vans or trucks parked in orchards and along roadways that border them during late evenings or off hours. Farmers rarely pick or load fruit during the night. If you see an obvious theft in progress, call 911. Do not confront any suspects.