There are just a few days left for rural communities to have their say on crime and policing where they live as part of a national survey.
The National Rural Crime Survey comes to an end on 10 June and is asking key questions to ensure the voice of the countryside is heard.
The survey wants to know the true picture of crime and anti-social behaviour in rural communities across the UK – and the impact it has.
The survey is being carried out by the National Rural Crime Network. The organisation brings together Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces and organisations that play a key role in rural communities – like the Country Land and Business Association, the National Farmers Union, Neighbourhood Watch, Crimestoppers, Historic England and the Countryside Alliance.
Questions cover a range of issues – from the impact crime and anti-social behaviour to whether enough is done to catch those who carry out the offences.
After the 2015 report, police forces across England and Wales made efforts to improve the way they dealt with crime that took place in rural areas.
A mix of measures were adopted, including from 13 forces who now have dedicated rural crime teams, six forces who have a dedicated rural officer and two forces who introduced cross-force collaboration.
The 2018 Survey will assess the impact these have had in an attempt to further showcase and roll-out best practice.
The results will also feed into the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural Affairs National Strategy for 2018-2021 which is due to be launched later this year.
