The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Rural Crimes Investigative Unit and the Livestock and Farm Protection Task Force are aware of the false statement made in May regarding New World Screwworm in Missouri.
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The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Rural Crimes Investigative Unit and the Livestock and Farm Protection Task Force are aware of the false statement made in May regarding New World Screwworm in Missouri. The two groups, along with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, are currently investigating this matter, and the case is considered an open and active investigation. No further details are available at this time.
The investigation is the result of a May 28 request from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn to discover the culprit and determine if this was an act with malicious intent to cause panic in agricultural markets.
On May 27 a false press release was sent to a northwest Missouri radio station. The information was quickly discovered to be false, however not before setting off a frenzy of animal health concerns, market scare and detriment to consumer trust.
RCIU focuses solely on the investigation of crime unique to the agricultural industry and farming communities within the state of Missouri. Formed in 2009 with the award of a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, RCIU was designed after successful undercover efforts that served to address increasing incidents of specific agriculture-related crimes. RCIU also serves to educate law enforcement and civilians regarding rural crime via community seminars, POST-accreditation training, email alerts, and in-depth crime trend bulletins.
If you have any information regarding this investigation, please contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control at 573-526-6122.
For more information about the Rural Crimes Investigative Unit, visit Division of Drug and Crime Control.
For more information about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit the Department online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.
