Vigilance is being urged after two rural thefts in Te Puke.

In the last week, police are aware of two tractors stolen from their properties.

While the tractor owners of these tractors have taken some preventative steps to ensure their equipment was secure, these burglaries have still occurred, said a police spokesperson.

“Police believe the biggest deterrent to crime is prevention, and continue to urge residents, farmers and orchard owners to be vigilant and take extra precautions.”

A few things people can do to keep their equipment safe include:

-Store equipment away from public view and keep keys securely stored in a separate area and out of sight.

-Lock any gates, sheds, or entrances to buildings or paddocks.

-Install sensor lights, CCTV cameras, signage, pin-code gates, or driveway or building alarms.

“A top tip is to photograph your important assets and possessions, including any identifiable features like scrapes, stickers, and gauges,” said police.

“Logging any serial numbers of equipment you may have is also another way to be reunited with your property if it is stolen and recovered.”

Investing in any method of prevention is better than having any items or equipment stolen as these can be expensive to go without, said police.

Anyone who sees any suspicious or unlawful activity is asked to please contact 111 immediately with as much information as safely possible.

Information can also be reported after the fact or in non-emergencies through our 105 services.