Forces lack the means to tackle rural crime – CLA
RURAL policing is “in crisis” with many forces lacking dedicated officers, funding and basic kit such as torches, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) responses received by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).
The CLA approached 36 police forces operating in rural areas across England and Wales, excluding the likes of the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester which serve predominantly urban communities.
In total, 20 forces responded, including Dorset and Wiltshire. Devon and Cornwall, Avon and Somerset, and Gloucestershire have not responded to the requests.
The findings reveal a “large disparity” in rural crime team funding, with some receiving £900,000 and others just £1,250.
The findings also show that five forces have no rural crime team, and eight forces have less than 10 dedicated rural officers.
Lack of equipment is an issue with at least three forces without torches, six without automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, three without drones, and three with just one drone.
The CLA, which represents 28,000 farmers, landowners and rural businesses across England and Wales, said rural crime teams have to face a “postcode lottery” when it comes to funding. While Cambridgeshire has a budget of £961,830, Leicestershire’s rural crime team receives just £1,250, and Northamptonshire’s team receives no internal funding.
Victoria Vyvyan, president of the CLA, said: “These findings show that our rural policing system is in crisis. There’s no serious national coordination, measurement, or even basic kit, to tackle surging rural crime.
“All forces need a rural crime equipment pack, including torches. We can’t expect police officers to tackle crime in the dark. And rural crime will remain unseen without proper tagging systems, backed by central funding and coordination.
“People living in the countryside feel treated like second class citizens by law enforcement. They need assurances, in this general election and beyond, that this cannot go on.”
Cleveland, Derbyshire and Lancashire reported no high-powered torches in their inventory, while South Yorkshire has just two high-power torches between 85 officers, and Gwent two across its entire rural crime team.
Six forces, including North Wales, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire, are going without critical equipment like mobile ANPR cameras, which allow officers to capture number plates and check them against ‘vehicles of interest’ databases.
Cleveland also has no 4x4 vehicles or rural drone surveillance kits, while three forces, including Northamptonshire, Gwent and South Yorkshire, have just one drone. North Wales and
Cleveland has no thermal spotters, which allow police to detect criminals in the dark, while three forces, including South Yorkshire, Gwent and Derbyshire, have just one in their inventory.
As part of its blueprint for tackling rural crime, CLA is calling on political parties to issue a standard rural crime equipment pack to every rural force, alongside training, to be funded centrally and reviewed annually.
On the issue of rural officers, Mrs Vyvyan added: “Around 90% of Britain’s landmass is rural, yet the FOI findings reveal that police forces have either no, or very little, dedicated officers for these areas and their unique types of crime.”