An Exploratory Assessment of Agricultural Crimes in Georgia

Rural crimes have often been ignored in criminological studies. An even lesser explored subject of inquiry is the nature and prevalence of agricultural or farm crimes within rural America. The examination of these type offenses is important to having a more accurate understanding of crime. The current study adds to our current knowledge of crime by exploring instances of agricultural crime in the State of Georgia. Using a victimization survey to gather data from individuals involved in the agricultural industry, the study provides an exploratory assessment of the prevalence of farm crimes in Georgia as well as examining factors, such as years of farming experience and farm size, that were found to have a significant correlation to victimization. Based on the data, instances of trespass, poaching, and theft were more prevalent on larger farming operations. Additionally, findings suggest that individuals who had over 25 years of farming experience had more frequently been the victim of theft and poaching within the 12 month period prior to the project. Consistent with prior studies, respondents frequently elected to not report their victimization to law enforcement authorities. Future studies should examine reasons why agricultural crime frequently goes unreported to the police officials as well as exploring measures used by the farming community to reduce their probability of victimization.