Rural farmers in Alberta and Western Canada have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in equipment, facilities and crops. Yet many are still struggling to implement effective security solutions to protect their bottom line.

This has been highlighted in recent weeks by the sheer amount of canola theft occurring in the province. In fact, in Alberta farmers have reported that entire acres of canola have been stolen by thieves.

According to CBC News, large groups of around 15 to 20 people have been trespassing onto canola fields in the Calgary area this summer, cutting down canola crops with scythes and jamming the plants into plastic bags before driving away.

One farmer reported that he had already lost around two acres of crops this year.

Theft on rural farms in Alberta, and across Western Canada in general, is a huge problem. That’s why farmers must improve their security measures if they want to protect their bottom line and maximize profits. 

So, how exactly can you protect your rural farm and your company’s assets from the damaging effects of theft? That’s where a verified security solution will help.

Why conventional CCTV isn’t enough to protect rural farms

Rural farms have vast boundaries and are generally located a long distance from large towns and cities, meaning they aren’t as protected by the police as urban businesses. That’s why you need to implement a security solution that guarantees police forces that they’ll catch a criminal when they take the time to respond to your alarms.

Unfortunately, if you are using traditional CCTV security cameras then police are unlikely to prevent a crime on your farm.

CCTV video does absolutely nothing to stop a crime from happening. Your crops or machinery may get stolen in the night, but you aren’t going to know until someone turns up at your farm the next morning. You’ll be able to watch the video replay, but you’re way too late to prevent the crime. You’ve already lost your assets and your profits have taken a huge dent.

Not only that, but 98 percent of conventional alarms turn out to be false alarms. That means police forces have stopped giving priority to unverified alarms, taking up to 45 minutes to respond to them - and that’s if they even show up at all.

Why a verified security solution is different!

Don’t worry, all hope is not lost. You can still protect your business, you just need to implement the right technologies. That’s why you need to consider a Sonitrol verified security solution. 

Unlike conventional CCTV alarms, verified security sends footage of a crime directly to a security expert in a central monitoring station as the crime is taking place. This expert is able to review the audio or video recording, and then verify whether it is a real crime. 

Once the crime is verified to be real, the security expert will alert the police and send them real-time updates so they know exactly what is happening and where it's occurring on your property. 

The best aspect is that since the crime is verified and police know it’s genuinely happening, they respond to Sonitrol alarms on average in a staggering 3.5 minutes. That means by using a Sonitrol verified security solution, you can catch criminals red handed before your rural farm loses money. 

Are you interested in learning more about how Sonitrol’s unique verified security solution can protect your rural farm from criminals? Contact Sonitrol Western Canada today. We would love to visit your farm and give you a free security plan.