Fully committed to tackling rural crime in the Thames Valley
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Thames Valley Police is furthering our commitment to tackling rural crime and making the area a hostile place for countryside offenders.
Our first rural crime strategy has been produced, which sets out the plan for reducing offending, improving co-operation and bringing offenders to justice up to 2026.
Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt, our strategic lead for rural crime, said: “Tackling rural crime is a priority for Thames Valley Police.
“The Thames Valley is blessed with natural beauty, historic landscapes and vibrant rural communities; it is a vital part of the economy and we are committed to protecting these assets for the benefit of us all.
“We will be focused on working with our partners and communities to create a hostile environment for those who commit rural crime.
“For those who do commit rural crime, we will do all we can bring them to justice.
“Our local neighbourhood policing teams and Rural Crime Taskforce will focus on the most prevalent threats and emerging issues that have the greatest impact on our rural communities.”
We will focus on increasing our ability to identify rural crime, which is defined as involving agriculture, the environmental, heritage and wildlife, to better tackle criminality and improving our response to communities impacted.
We will increase the confidence our rural communities have in the force by building meaningful links transparency and accountability.
We will proactively target those who are suspected of committing serious rural organised acquisitive crime through disruption and targeted activity.
We will work collectively in the force and with partners to make a sustained improvement for rural crime.
Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “The impact of rural crime can be devastating and can leave our most isolated communities feeling particularly vulnerable.
“The publication of the first Rural Crime Strategy demonstrates Thames Valley Police’s commitment to tackling it and building the trust and confidence of residents across our rural areas.
“Thames Valley Police is already making great strides in bearing down on individuals and organised groups who are committing rural crime.
“I was pleased to provide critical funding to develop the Rural Crime Taskforce and their results to date show the benefit of a dedicated and proactive policing response.
“The taskforce is working hard to bring offenders to justice as well as promoting prevention and their close collaboration with rural communities and organisations such as the National Farmers Union is making a real difference to the safety and security of farms, rural industries and our most isolated communities.”
A variety of tactics will be used to carry out our strategic objectives around rural crime.
The Rural Crime Taskforce has been making the Thames Valley a hostile area for offenders since its launch around two years ago, with more than £4 million-worth of property seized in that time.
To tackle criminality and improve our understanding of rural crime, we will monitor crime trends, train contact management staff, work with local policing areas and intelligence teams and increase the number of wildlife crime-trained officers.
We will also use WhatsApp groups to engage with communities as well as support weeks of action, use social media and develop rural crime calendars.
Among the ways we will disrupt offenders include working with our neighbouring police forces, use drones and automated number plate recognition cameras and continue to tackle hare coursing through Op Galileo.
Lastly, we will develop our relationship with partners such as the National Farmers’ Union, Environment Agency, local authorities and others to improve collaboration, as well as continuing our regular rural crime partnership board meetings and utilise special constables.
Ben Gibbons, from NFU South East, said: “It’s great to see Thames Valley Police recognising the impact rural crime has on our farmers by producing a vital strategy.
“We’ve been grateful for being able to build such a close relationship in recent years to tackle the criminality affecting our members and support the rural crime taskforce.
“For our farmers it’s not only the cost of rural crime but the isolation and vulnerability of being targeted.
“It’s positive to see the strategy incorporates this and highlights that communication and intelligence is key to combatting criminal activity.”
Tim Bamford, Regional Director of CLA South East, said: “We welcome this strategy and the commitment of Thames Valley Police to tackling rural crime, which blights farmers, businesses and communities across the region.
“The CLA has worked closely with the force’s Rural Crime Taskforce since it was formed two years ago, and it has already achieved some impressive outcomes. The strategy outlines how we can all work together to create a hostile environment for those committing rural crime, and we look forward to further supporting the efforts over the coming years.
“We encourage all victims of crime to report incidents, to help police build up the most complete picture possible and allocate resources accordingly.”
JD
Notes to editor:
Our Rural Crime Taskforce lead, Inspector Stuart Hutchings, is available for interview. To arrange, email [email protected].
UPDATE: David Orpwood's name has been amended.
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