Targeting ATV trespassing

The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office is cracking down on people who ride all-terrain vehicles and trespass on parish residents’ private farms and property.

Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal announced Tuesday the formation of a task force that will help farmers in minimizing the damage to crops and equipment from illegal ATV use and other vandalism on their property. Ackal said this issue was raised during his campaign for sheriff.

“One farmer complained to me that his barn burned down with about $40,000 worth of equipment in it,” Ackal said. “That, coupled with many other complaints of vandalism on tractors, is the reason for the task force. There’s no rhyme or reason why people would do that.”

Task force members will be in daily contact with local farmers who will provide the location of their equipment so it can be monitored. Operations will take place day and night to deter vandalism to parish agricultural operations and equipment, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Iberia Parish Scheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Wendell Raborn said illegal ATV use is not the only illegal activity the task force will address.

“The task force will look for individuals who are trespassing on private property and damaging the farmers’ crops with ATVs, dirt bikes and off-road vehicles,” Raborn said. “Individuals caught trespassing will be arrested and their vehicles will be impounded.”

Iberia Parish Councilman Glenn Romero represents a large number of farmers in District 9 and believes the task force is a good idea.

“Nobody really knows how much damage they have on these fields,” Romero said. “It’s not just ATVs. We’ve got trucks that are tearing up some of these fields, as well. It’s tough to get their tractors out there with the roads torn up like that. ”

Romero said farmers can potentially be held liable if someone comes onto their property and is injured, so the task force and its enforcement efforts will help give them some legal protection.

In May 2007, Cody Ables of New Iberia was found dead in a field off of Loreauville Road near Belle Place Middle School. He had apparently been riding an ATV in the field adn struck a steel cable. His father, Ron, asked the Iberia Parish Council to require farmers and landowners to better mark the cables to avoid similar tragedies. The council voted 8-6 June 28, 2007, to make that request of landowners.

“They need to enforce that trespass law,” Romero said. “The farmers have a legitimate complaint. ”

Raborn said the penalty for trespassing, on a first offense, is a fine of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail. For criminal damage to property, such as farm equipment, the penalty is up to $1,000 in fines and up to six months in jail.

Ackal said the task force will represent a cooperative effort.

“We will work with the farmers on this and we encourage parents of juveniles who might do this sort of thing to use common sense — either get the farmer’s permission or stay off their property,” Ackal said.