‘Arm yourself with tech:’ new app aims to curb rural crime

As producers in Saskatchewan continue to face theft on their property, a fellow farmer hopes his new app and tracking device can help curb the issue.

BeeSecure officially launched an asset tracking device and mobile app Monday. The tracking device can be made to look like various common objects around the farm, such as a water bottle or mallet, and then the device can be placed in items that might get stolen or broken into like a truck, toolbox, or quad.

The tracker is customizable and it can be placed wherever a producer wants to hide it. #saskag #canag #skag pic.twitter.com/4ib7uppKnS

— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) June 25, 2018

CEO Jeff Shirley explained the device is triggered by vibration or movement, such as a truck door opening or if a quad were to be moving away from the person’s property. The tracker would then send a signal to an interactive GPS map on the app, and send the user a notification there was movement — along with where the asset is.

“I’m going to quote John Sutherland, the detachment commander for the Battleford, arm yourself with tech, not guns,” Shirley said. “What we would like to see here is if there were to be a confrontation on your property, let the assets go, trust in the asset trackers – it’s just property — and then at some point in time, the RCMP can receive (the tracking information), track down that asset and help you retrieve your property.”

CEO Jeff Shirley of @beesecureyxe shows an example of how their sensory technology works. #saskag #cdnag #westcanag pic.twitter.com/1LTcG0pmZ2

— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) June 25, 2018

The history behind the technology comes from when Shirley was getting his hives stolen at his apiary.

He thought to himself, “how do you secure a beehive which is in a middle of the field, no wifi, no power? How do you solve that problem?”

From there, he created BeeSecure along with his team at Rivercity Technology Services Ltd. based in Saskatoon.  Back in December, the province announced Shirley won the first Rural Crime Innovation Challenge.

“(Rural crime) is an issue that we’ve heard a lot about all over the province for quite a period of time and this is an innovative solution to a problem that everyone is facing,” Tina Beaudry-Mellor, minister responsible for Innovation Sask. said. “I think it demonstrates the value of technology in solving some of the challenges the government faces.”

‘Peace of mind’

Jim Etter has been fortunate enough to be one of the producers testing out the new product. He said it’s been great so far and can see the value in having the extra form of security on his farm and processing plant.

“If something is being stolen you don’t ever want to go out and engage with the bad guy,” Etter said. “(This way) you can just relax and phone the police and then let them worry about it so it gives you a complete peace of mind.”

He went on to say, so far the app and device have worked ‘flawlessly’ and it only had about a minute delay from when he moved his truck with the tracking device in it, to when he got the notification on his phone that his truck was moving.

The affordability is also a bonus to him. Etter explained when you have $40,000 equipment in the yard that can sometimes be easily moved around, the $200 device and minimal monthly fee to track it, is worth it in his opinion.

In the next coming months, BeeSecure will be available to be installed not only in Saskatchewan but across North America.