Case Explained:This article breaks down the legal background, charges, and implications of Case Explained: This Arkansas law enforcement team investigates ag crimes – Legal Perspective
Across the state of Arkansas, there is a small but dedicated team of agricultural law enforcement officers who tirelessly work to protect farmers, ranchers and natural resources. With only six special agents covering vast territories, their mission is to safeguard the livelihoods of those who feed the nation.
These special agents are certified officers with statewide jurisdiction. They can write a ticket anywhere, but their focus is on agriculture. The agency is also part of a task force that extends across 14 Southeastern states, all working across state lines to uphold justice in agricultural crimes.
With 28 years of experience, Billy Black, chief of law enforcement at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, leads his state’s team with a passion for agriculture and a commitment to serve. “I’ve got the hardest working officers in the state of Arkansas,” he said. “They are going somewhere every day, trying to help somebody.”
Black discussed how the agency works to recover millions of dollars of stolen property each year and what farmers can do proactively to protect their tangible assets.
Protecting farmers and ranchers
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s law enforcement agency is not your typical police force. It was originally established in the late 1990s and was then called the forestry investigation team. In 2018, the team expanded into a law enforcement agency that focuses on all criminal activity impacting the state’s largest industry: agriculture. This expansion occurred under the recommendation and direction of Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.
Last year, the Arkansas agency recovered $3.2 million in restitution, a substantial year-over-year increase from $1.2 million. While some may compare these figures to a single crop loan, the hope is that more awareness of the agency’s investigative resources will further increase restitution for livestock theft, timber fraud and stolen farm equipment across the state. These special agents also investigate vandalism, wildfires and foreign landownership.
“There are farmers and ranchers who do not think [the crimes that affect them] are getting due diligence, and we are here to represent them,” Black said.
The agency collaborates closely with city and county authorities, and Black has found that crimes usually correlate with the markets. For instance, with the late skyrocket of cattle prices, livestock theft has been a focus.
Timber theft is another issue, which may involve everything from someone cutting timber across the wrong property line to outright theft by logging companies that divert loads to unauthorized mills. “If they cut 10 loads of timber off your property and only nine make it to the mill, that is $2,000 in their pocket,” Black explained.
Equipment theft can range from small equipment like four-wheelers and side-by-sides to more expensive assets like trailers, tractors and combines. Like livestock, much of that stolen equipment crosses state lines. As part of the Southeast Law Enforcement Task Force, the Arkansas agency maintains an exceptional and invaluable relationship with agricultural law enforcement agencies across 14 states.
This regional consortium has improved restitution. In the past, if stolen property or livestock crossed a state line, “it was gone.” Now, these 14 agencies call on one another, and their professional and personal networking ties are evident.
“Agriculture is a large industry, but it’s a small world. Agricultural law enforcement is an even smaller world,” Black said of the tight-knit group. “We attend an annual meeting each year, and we are all good friends. So much that we even get invited to each other’s weddings. This task force is outstanding. We have had a lot of success recovering stolen property in other states because we have those relationships.”
Education for crime prevention
In addition to investigations, Black and his team focus on education and outreach to help the agricultural community protect their hard-earned property. “Farmers and ranchers are often too trusting,” he said. “It’s easy for thieves to take advantage of that.”
Black and his team accept invitations to speak to commodity interest groups about the mission of the agency to better protect farm assets in Arkansas. The key to avoiding theft is to block the opportunity. Like Sir Francis Bacon once said, “Opportunity makes the thief.”
Prevention is key. Farmers can remove keys from tractors and combines, and ranchers can move their livestock corrals and feed troughs away from the highway. Black said another critical measure is monitoring your property with a digital or security camera. “The best advice I can give to farmers is this: At least put out a game camera. Hide it near your property gates and entry points so you can capture valuable evidence like vehicle descriptions, in the event of theft.”
If a crime occurs on your property, the first call you should make is to local city or county authorities. From there, the case can be assigned to your regional agricultural law agent.
For more information and resources, see the law enforcement page on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website.
“Often, people do not know we are here, but we do a lot of things behind the scenes,” Black said. “We are here to take care of our farmers and ranchers. If somebody calls and has a tractor that’s been stolen, my agents understand how important that is. It’s the farmer’s livelihood that’s been taken, and we aim to get it back.”