‘No brainer’: Kerry council urged to purchase anti-theft property marking machines

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

Kerry County Council has been urged to purchase “no brainer” anti-property theft machines after giving a commitment two years ago.

“Every other local authority has one,” said Councillor Tom Barry, “it’s a very simple way of preventing crime”.

Property marking machines emboss the property with small dots in the pattern of the owner’s Eircode.

The markings make it harder for criminals to sell stolen property and easier for Gardaí to trace stolen goods, while also deterring theft altogether.

Cllr Barry said the council had made a commitment two years earlier to buy machines, but no progress had been made.

He suggested that once bought, they could be leased out to community groups to allow local personal property to be marked, before the council could allocate them to another group.

A report by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association in 2019 found the average loss to a farmer who is a victim of theft is €4,329.

The theft of farm equipment rose by more than 40pc in the years leading up to 2019.

Councillor Angie Bailey supported the motion, claiming that property marking machines had reduced theft levels in council areas where they had been deployed.

“It has become something that’s such a problem, with very expensive items purchased by people going missing.

“If this can help the amount of thefts and make it more visible then I think it’s a fantastic system,” she said.

The council said they have recently begun discussions with Muintir na Tire, who are currently operating a pilot, for the use of property marking machines within communities.