11/29/07 Still thieves

Rustling and theft are still taking place. You need to help stop it. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back after this with some suggestions. Identification is the key to helping curb theft of animals and property. This is part of the advice given by Scott Williamson in a Beef magazine article written by Burt Rutherford. Scott Williamson is a regional supervisor and Special Ranger with the Texas and southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSRA.) Twenty-eight of these rangers roam throughout Texas and Oklahoma specializing in rural law enforcement. This not only includes livestock, but ranch and personal equipment. Identification of livestock, of course, begins with a brand. Personally, I don't know of anything that is more enduring and proves ownership better than a brand. Williamson suggests marking items like saddles and tools with your driver's license number. This makes recovering stolen articles easier and makes a thief a little less likely to take an item in the first place. The driver's license number is better than just a name since law enforcement personnel are finding stolen goods ending up several states away instead of at the local pawnshop. Williamson also advocates locking gates and equipment. Even in rural areas a neighborhood watch is a help and you should write down anything out of the ordinary. One of the boldest thefts Williamson worked on was a gooseneck trailer stolen at noon out of a company parking lot. The thief waved as he drove away and everyone thought the owner had loaned the trailer out. I'd never get away with it; my pickup would breakdown in front of everyone. I'm Jeff Keane. Beef November 2007