Cattle breeders hire armed guards to patrol farms
18/03/2008
Worried by a wave of violence in the area, cattle breeders in Alegrete, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, are hiring armed guards to watch over their farms. Padlocks on gates are no longer a deterrent for armed robbers operating in the region. In view of the situation, 20 properties have hired the services of private security companies to patrol their properties through the night.
According to police reports, 503 head of cattle were stolen in the Alegrete region last year, an 8% increase on the 2006 figures. What worries breeders most is that the attacks are not limited to the fields or cattle; farm houses are being attacked as well. In two recent attacks, a farm owner was stabbed inside his house and an employee of another farm was shot in the face. Both survived.
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