Alabama rural investigative unit is recovering stolen farm equipment and making arrests

Alabama is going after criminals targeting farms and farm equipment. The Agriculture Rural Crime Unit, formed June 4, has already made big headlines. By the end of June, the 10-member team had made 14 felony arrests and recovered $500,000 in stolen equipment, Brad Harper reports for the Montgomery Advertiser. (Advertiser photo: A recovered tractor)

Last month Republican Gov. Robert Bentley introduced the unit, which is part of a consolidated group of agents from the Department of Public Safety, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Department of Agriculture and Industries, Mike Cason of the Alabama Media Group calls it the state's "first example of a plan to consolidate law enforcement under a bill passed this year by the Legislature. The consolidation effort is one of the initiatives of the Republican-led Legislature to streamline government."

Lt. Gene Wiggins, head of the unit, told Cason that the unit is an assistance agency that collaborates "with sheriff’s offices and police departments to help them investigate cases, such as stolen farm equipment and stolen livestock." The state set up a hot line, 1-855-75-CRIME, to report suspicious activity that could be of interest to the team, but emergencies should still be reported to 911. (Read more)