Crop theft and seizure are real problems for the burgeoning hemp industry. Security experts recommend hemp entrepreneurs be proactive and employ multiple measures to ensure the safety of their crops.
Those security measures don't have to be expensive, according to Ryan Schonfeld, founder and president of RAS Consulting and Investigations, a security consulting firm. For instance, developing friendly relationships with local law enforcement is free, and has additional benefits.
[I]t is essential to develop a relationship with local law enforcement. Building a friendly relationship serves two purposes. First, it lets the police know that the grower is cultivating a legal crop, heading off any raids. An established relationship can also result in law enforcement being at the property more often and responding more quickly to problems, which bolsters security.
"Make friends with your local police. Make your property a place they want to visit because it's essentially free security whenever they're there," Schonfeld says. As a former police officer, he says that having a fresh pot of coffee brewed and clean bathrooms available to use while on duty will be appreciated and lead law enforcement to be around more often.
Other tools include cooperative security agreements with fellow growers and employing cost-effective security equipment, like, perimeter motion detectors, security cameras, and even drones.
"One of the biggest problems we see at the outdoor facilities is the lack of infrastructure," Schonfeld says.
Tim Sutton, senior security consultant for Guidepost Solutions, agrees, arguing that "you build your defenses from the outside in, always." And, "the earlier you're able to detect, the better," as this provides more advance notice and time to react.
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