Rural residents fed up with thefts and vandalism that are costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Blue Earth County alone are considering some big-city solutions for their problems.

Several farmers, led by implement dealer Ron Kibble, met with county law enforcement officials last week to discuss ways they can work together to catch criminals preying on homes and businesses in rural areas. The meeting was spurred by victims of an expensive string of vandalism incidents in October that remain unsolved.

In a one-night spree during the heart of the harvest season, a group of vandals did well over $500,000 in damage to buildings and farm equipment in the southern half of the county. Tractors were turned on and driven through turkey barns or sent rumbling into groves of trees where they were left running. One farmer’s truck was destroyed after being rolled into a river. A grain cart was flipped and its load poured into a ditch. Windows were shot out of locked vehicles left in the field overnight at another farm.

“Whoever did this was out all night,” said Jim Heins, one of several victims. “Nothing was taken. Nobody reported anything taken. This seemed to be people bent on destruction.”

Investigators with the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Department have been following leads through the winter but don’t have any solid suspects despite a $4,000 reward that’s still available. And Kibble, owner of Mankato Implement, said reports of burglaries and thefts from his customers are becoming more frequent. It’s not uncommon for farmers to have small machinery, expensive tools or even scrap metal stolen from outbuildings, he said.

That’s causing concern for farmers getting ready to move into the fields again for the planting season. So they met with County Commissioner Will Purvis, County Attorney Ross Arneson, Sheriff’s Department deputies and other county officials to discuss options. The discussion led to solutions similar to those being used by city dwellers.

“I think, really, the subplot of the meeting was creating a rural crime watch,” Heins said. “We need to create more open communication between neighbors and law enforcement.”

That would include having farmers park their equipment in consistent locations at night so passing deputies would know if something is amiss, he said. They also talked about installing surveillance cameras and alarms in their buildings, on their property or even in their equipment.

Alarms can alert deputies so they’re able to respond immediately when buildings or tractors have been broken into and cameras can catch criminals in the act, Purvis said. Technology that’s been used to solve several high-profile crimes in Mankato is becoming affordable enough for farmers to use as well, he added.

“You can spend between $500 and $600 and get a pretty sophisticated piece of surveillance equipment,” Purvis said. “It’s pretty hard to deny you’ve committed a crime when you’re on video doing it.”

Kibble said the cameras also work as a deterrent. Video cameras were installed at his business off Highway 22 after a string of theft and vandalism incidents. Hehasn’t had a serious problem since then and suggested setting up a crime fair where vendors could display their alarm and surveillance products.

The cost of those products is easily offset by the expenses farmers face during unwanted planting or harvesting delays while equipment is being repaired or replaced, Kibble said.

Some of the residents at last week’s meeting jokingly suggested arming themselves to deter criminals, he added. They realize that isn’t a good idea because the criminals are often armed. The windows shot out during last fall’s crime spree prove that, Kibble said.

“We’re going to shoot them, but we’re going to shoot them with cameras,” he said. “I think we’re heading in the right direction, we just need to get people involved. The movement has started because we definitely need to do something.”

There are some old-fashioned ways for rural neighbors to keep crooks away, said Capt. Rich Murry of the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Department. It’s hard for his patrol officers to keep tabs on the county’s 568 square miles 24 hours per day, but neighbors could make that job easier by calling the Sheriff’s Department when they see suspicious activity, he said.