Law enforcement gets ag-crime training

SEBRING - The Highlands County Sheriff's Office hosted a multi-agency heavy equipment identification training session by the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit at the Liberty Star Substation recently. The Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit (FACIU), a nonprofit organization, is made up of law enforcement officers from across Florida in the specialized field of agricultural-related crimes investigations, said Nell Hays, sheriff's spokeswoman. Its purpose was to share information on crimes affecting the agricultural communities throughout Florida and surrounding states. "Proving ownership of equipment is the key to identifying stolen property, matching it to the appropriate cases and returning it to the lawful owners," said Hays. National Insurance Crime Bureau agents James H. Price and Tod Blair conducted the training. According to the unit's president and Highlands County Sheriff's Office Agriculture Deputy Fred Tagtmeier, the purpose of the class was to train officers on the locations of serial and identification numbers on various types of construction and farm equipment. "This training was very well received by the attendees," he said. "Having both the NICB agents and the actual equipment to view was key to the success of the class." The class was attended by law enforcement officers from Desoto, Sarasota, Volusia, Osceola, Brevard, Glades, Pasco and Highlands County sheriffs' offices, the Florida Department of Agriculture and the Seminole Tribe Police Department, Hays said. "In addition to the classroom training, attendees were able to practice their new skills on various pieces of equipment when they visited Highlands County businesses Excavation Point, Inc. and Insight Auctioneers, who volunteered to participate in the practical portion of the training," she said. Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton complimented the training session. "We were proud to host the NICB agents and their training sessions," Benton said. "Having this knowledge can assist the law enforcement representatives in closing their stolen equipment cases and hopefully arresting the people involved in these crimes."