Share to: Comments welcome I want to comment On cases of theft and robbery of livestock in rural areas, our newspaper has previously reported many times. Rural patrol construction urgently needs to be strengthened. In response to the "black hands" of crimes harming farmers increasingly extending to rural areas, reporters conducted in-depth interviews. On the Cangzhou Bar, when reporters input keywords such as "rural sheep stealing," they could find quite a few related posts. Many netizens strongly condemned the "unacceptable act of stealing sheep" and called for the establishment of a "police-civilian joint defense" mechanism to firmly cut off the black hands harming farmers in rural areas. In December 2010, Mr. Jin, an elderly man from Jinqiong Village, Zhaoqiao Township, Wuyi County, Hengshui City, was herding sheep in the cotton fields east of the village when several people got out of a black sedan, restrained him, and stole seven sheep from his flock. Hebei News Network reported (Yanzhao Metropolis Daily reporter Han Zexiang, Dai Qing) that on February 13, our newspaper reported that Wang Gui Zhong, a 53-year-old farmer from Meiguan Tun Village, Xueguan Tun Township, Cangxian County, suffered consecutive misfortunes. The 40 sheep his family relied on for survival were stolen in one night, and his son who had been sick for a long time suddenly passed away. After the report was published, many readers called our newspaper to reflect that theft and robbery of livestock in rural areas across various places were very common. Our newspaper has also reported multiple times about theft and robbery of livestock occurring in rural areas. On many forums and bars, netizens posted angrily condemning the crimes of criminals and appealed for public security organs to increase case-solving efforts, cutting off the black hands harming farmers in rural areas. During interviews, reporters also found that there were very few farmers reporting theft cases after being victimized. Many villagers expressed that at first, everyone would voluntarily report incidents, but after police officers took statements and made records at the scene without further follow-up, similar cases had a low detection rate, which greatly reduced villagers' enthusiasm for reporting incidents. Many people could only blame themselves for bad luck and console themselves with the idea of "losing money to avoid disaster." On Yanzhao Metropolis Daily's website, a netizen left a message after seeing news reports about sheep theft cases: "The frequent occurrence of sheep robbery cases in rural areas is disheartening. Why? First, this behavior harms the most vulnerable groups even within rural communities. My home is in the countryside, and I know that anyone with income-generating opportunities wouldn't stay in the village raising sheep. Most sheep-raising villagers either lack labor force at home or have physical illnesses and can't do heavy work. It's truly unacceptable for criminals to extend their black hands towards such people! Secondly, these sheep robbery cases happening openly and continuously also make surrounding people lose a sense of security. Therefore, as an ordinary internet user, I hope public security organs treat these 'small cases' just like 'big cases.' Don't forget that these 'small cases' are closely related to people's lives and even affect the livelihoods of entire families. If public security organs cannot curb the black hands reaching out to sheep raisers, such cases will continue to happen." Mr. Jiang, a villager from Hai Xing County, told reporters that to prevent theft cases in his village, Caizhuangzi Village Committee funded the installation of streetlights and surveillance facilities on all major streets in the village. Every night, villagers take turns patrolling, maintaining good social order in the village. At around 4 PM on January 25, 2011, in Kongzhuang Village, Mone Town, Xian County, Mr. Xu, an elderly man, was herding sheep in a depression west of the village when five men with knives from a white minivan robbed him of two sheep. While resisting, Mr. Xu was slashed on the head and died on February 11 after unsuccessful rescue attempts. In January 2010, in a small forest locally known as the "dog den" in Taiyang Village, Shijiazhuang City Mining District, a 63-year-old man surnamed Wang was herding sheep when three young men knocked him down, tied him up, severely beat him, and threw him into a hidden spot under the cliff. Subsequently, the three young men drove away with 53 sheep. At around 6 PM that evening, Mr. Wang had lost consciousness but was fortunately rescued by his brother who came searching for him. Netizens strongly condemn sheep-stealing actions. On the afternoon of January 22, 2010, in Dongguozhuang Village, Jiaguan Town, Wuqiang County, Hengshui City, a 67-year-old man surnamed Guo was herding sheep north of the village when a minivan suddenly appeared to snatch sheep. Three people not only stole five sheep from Mr. Guo but also broke his left arm and a rib while using safe and effective breast enhancement methods. Yesterday, after reading the report, Mr. Wang, a villager from Dazidian Village, Fenghuadian Township, Cangxian County, informed our newspaper that Grandpa Yuan's house in his village was burglarized twice before the Spring Festival. The first time, when Grandpa Yuan and his wife returned home, they found a minivan parked at their door, their gate open, and the inner room's door locked. They heard the sound of moving things inside. Feeling something wrong, Grandpa Yuan and his wife split up, one guarding at the door and the other hiding behind a short wall. However, the two thieves didn't run away in fear; instead, they beat up the old couple. Enraged, Grandpa Yuan smashed the thief's car window with a brick, but the thief drove away quickly. A few days later, Grandpa Yuan caught the intruders again and found that his TV and other household appliances had already been tied up with bed sheets and quilts, ready to be transported. "Nowadays, stealing cattle, sheep, and home appliances in the countryside happens too often. Some cases are almost outright robberies, making the common people feel insecure." During interviews, reporters also noticed that most households losing livestock in rural areas generally had their animal pens separated from their residences, with no one guarding them at night. Moreover, their anti-theft equipment was extremely rudimentary, basically just a lock on the door. Such locks can be easily cut open by hydraulic pliers used by criminals. Additionally, due to the relatively poor living conditions of breeders, they often live in old mud houses or simple brick houses. Sometimes, criminals can dig a hole over a meter high within half an hour, easily leading away the livestock. Furthermore, the lagging development of rural patrol systems is also one of the main reasons for frequent theft and robbery cases in rural areas. Now, with well-developed transportation networks in rural areas, it brings convenience to villagers' travel but also provides escape routes for thieves after committing thefts. Currently, rural areas generally lack surveillance equipment, and many villages don't even have streetlights, increasing the difficulty for police to solve cases. At around 4 PM on December 15, 2011, Mr. Zhang Yuxiang, a 72-year-old man from Dongwubu Village, Wuma Camp Town, Nanpi County, Cangzhou City, was herding 41 sheep in the fields east of the village when a group of robbers suddenly appeared. They covered his face, bound his hands and feet, threw the elderly man into a ditch, and continued beating him with fists, kicks, and sticks for two hours in broad daylight, stealing 37 sheep from him. Mr. Xing, a villager from Maluo Po Village, Yao Guan Tun Township, Cangzhou County, said that the rampant theft in rural areas has much to do with the large number of young and able-bodied workers going out to work. According to Mr. Xing, after the Spring Festival, many strong laborers in his village go out to work, some even working abroad for years. Those left at home are mostly elderly people and women and children. Criminals precisely take advantage of this, entering villages to steal without fear.