Web used to fight farm thefts

By ELLEN READ

A Waipu farmer who had his equipment shed raided while he was out in the paddock has used the setback to launch an internet-based property security business.

Ken Couper was cutting hay in spring 2002 when thieves made off with his farm tools, air compressor and welder, taken from a shed just a few hundred metres from his house.

Apart from worrying about the tractor breaking down during haymaking and not having any tools to fix it, Couper spent the repetitive hours driving round the paddock thinking about what he could do to stop such thefts happening again.

He came up with the idea of an internet-hosted database of property identification details.

"My brother farms across the valley and he was across helping me with the hay and thought it was a good idea," Couper said.

The brothers rang their sister in London, who has an IT and publishing background, and the family venture took shape.

Local man Bruce Sim, who runs internet business Simtrek, was commissioned to put together the software for developing, running and maintaining a property database.

Couper also spent a lot of time talking to interested parties - such as police, Work and Income, and Housing New Zealand - and while none endorse the product, they all offered suggestions that he incorporated into the design.

"It had to be very easy to use and people had to be able to be responsible for their own details and able to keep them updated."

The result is StopThief, where for an annual registration fee of $20, anyone can sign up and get a randomly computer-generated identification number for any item, register it on the site and mark the item with an infra-red pen.

If items are stolen, this will be registered on the site and help to recover the goods.

Cooper has an Auckland insurance broker on board who thinks StopThief will save insurers money as it gives firms a better chance of finding the stolen property and returning it, rather than having to pay out for new stuff.

"It works both ways - insurance companies are also less likely to get ripped off by people making false claims, wanting to upgrade their TV, for instance," Couper said.

Fifty clients of John Baker Insurance have picked up on an offer by the broker to pay the first year's registration for StopThief and to waive any excess if a listed item is stolen.

Couper sees a number of benefits to the system, including police being able to check the hotlist via WAP-enabled cellphones. Property is also more likely to be identified when owners have serial numbers.

"And because reselling will be harder, it could lead to a reduction in crime," Couper said.

The data gathered on insurance and property-owning trends could help insurers to anticipate market developments, he said.

A similar service is offered by Operation Recall, which has a small database of game fishing equipment in the Bay of Islands. Thefts from vessels displaying Operation Recall stickers have dropped to zero for the last six months, according to Couper.

To develop StopThief, he gained a position in the Icehouse incubator, using it as his base when in Auckland on business.

He said having to put a business case around the concept helped him to test its viability.

The networking and mentoring offered by Icehouse also helped him to maintain a business focus, rather than running StopThief as a sideline.

Costs to start the business were mainly the software and the time involved for Couper and his siblings. But operating costs are minimal - just a kit sent to people who register - so the profit margin is high.

StopThief