Survey work carried out for the NFU by More in Common in October 2023 showed that 71% of the public believe rural crime should be treated more seriously by the police. That鈥檚 why the NFU has sent a letter of congratulations to every single elected PPC, calling on them to:
- Ensure priorities for addressing rural crime are detailed in their police and crime plan.
- Recruit a dedicated rural crime specialist.
- Engage regularly with the farming community.
- Deliver effective response and investigation of crimes impacting farm businesses.
- Work with farm businesses on effective crime prevention strategies.
- Develop a strategy to counter the impact of organised crime groups operating in rural areas.
- Provide greater rural crime training for officers and control centres.
鈥�Criminals targeting farm business assets can therefore undermine farmers鈥� feelings of personal safety at home.鈥�
NFU letter to PCCs
In our letter, we stressed that farm crime is 鈥榰nique鈥�, due to farmers鈥� businesses also being their homes. We warned that 鈥榗riminals targeting farm business assets can therefore undermine farmers鈥� feelings of personal safety at home鈥�.
We explained that rural crime extends beyond the farm to impact the wider population, as seen with industrial scale fly-tipping.
皇家华人is asking for PCCs to commit to engaging with the National Rural Crime Network and to develop a strategy to counter the impact of organised crime groups operating in rural areas.
As a result of our campaigning work, 19,060 people added their signatures to our letter. Thank you to everyone who added their name.
We are now inviting all newly elected police and crime commissioners to meet local farmers to hear first-hand the impact of criminal activity on farming businesses and discuss steps to help combat this threat.
Counting the cost of rural crime
Police and crime commissioners are elected to make sure that the local police in their area are meeting the needs of the community. Yet too often, rural communities fail to feel adequately protected against criminals and organised crime gangs.
Theft of large and small machinery, fly-tipping, dog attacks on livestock and hare coursing continue to blight farming communities.
As a result, rural crime cost the UK 拢49.5m in 2022. However, the full scale cost and social impact of crime in rural areas is underestimated, under-reported and not fully understood.
The recent PCC elections offered a timely opportunity to shine a light on these issues and reflect on ways in which police forces combat rural crime.
鈥�I urge all police and commissioners to meet with local farmers to understand the impact of these crimes first-hand.鈥�
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos
NFU Vice President Rachel Hallos said: 鈥淚n recent years, rural communities across Britain have been dealing with highly organised criminal gangs targeting the countryside to steal livestock, valuable machinery or expensive GPS equipment.
鈥淭o tackle rural crime effectively, we are asking PCCs to ensure priorities for addressing rural crime are detailed in their Police and Crime Plan and to recruit a dedicated rural crime specialist.
鈥淚 urge all police and commissioners to meet with local farmers to understand the impact of these crimes first-hand and commit to tangible plans to better help combat rural crime.鈥�
Tackling rural crime nationally
Alongside making rural crime a priority at a local level, the NFU continues to campaign for a consistent and coordinated response to rural crime across government and police forces.
With 80% of NFU Mutual Agents reporting that rural crime is disrupting farming activity, it is clear that the government鈥檚 police funding formula simply does not reflect the costs of policing rural areas.
The NFU鈥檚 鈥�Farming for Britain鈥檚 Future鈥� general election manifesto calls on the next government to deliver fair funding for rural policing, a dedicated rural crime team in every police force in the country and the formation of a cross-departmental rural crime task force to address failures in dealing with rural crime.
Find out more on how we're tackling rural crime:
See our manifesto asks
Our manifesto
翱耻谤听general election manifesto 鈥� Farming for Britain's Future聽鈥� outlines our key asks of the next government to ensure farmers and growers can continue to deliver for the environment, economy and local communities while producing more of the great British food we all enjoy.