A Welsh police force has announced a dedicated strategy to stamp out the growing problem of rural crime in the area.
Dyfed-Powys Police has announced the strategy will include four rural crime teams. Figures for Dyfed-Powys from 2016/17 show that more than 500 crimes had been committed on farms.
These offences included burglaries targeting agricultural buildings and fields, with livestock, quad bikes, trailers, machinery, gates, tools, scrap metal stolen, as well as criminal damage caused to crops, land, buildings, fences, machinery and other property.
Farm related thefts are often under-reported. This means that the figures for the number of thefts taking place over the last year could actually be a lot higher than first thought.
This announcement comes after months of NFU Cymru meetings, which looked at lobbying the idea of a dedicated rural crime team. Carmarthenshire County Chairman, Garry Williams believes that framers and rural communities working together with these new dedicated rural crime officers will be a huge step in the right direction.
“Stamping out rural crime is a two way relationship. It is not just about one party doing something about it but instead farmers and the police working together to help deter thieves and finding a way to reduce the crime rates in rural communities.
“It is vitally important that every rural crime incident is reported to the police, no matter how small it may seem it counts and I urge you all, to report anything suspicious, or any theft that has taken place, in order to ensure that we know exactly what we are dealing with when it comes to rural crime.”
'Safeguard communities'
Dyfed-Powys Police will develop the specialist rural skills and knowledge of police officers to maintain a visible presence and provide response to crimes and incidents in rural and farming communities.
Superintendent Robyn Mason, the force lead for rural crime said: “Dyfed-Powys Police’s vision is to safeguard communities and keep the vulnerable safe, and we must understand the needs of the communities we serve across the four counties covering two-thirds of Wales.
“The force area is incredibly diverse in its make-up and it would be impossible to target crime in all areas in the same way. Isolated communities and remote locations can be made vulnerable by their very nature, and a responsibility is placed on policing to respond to these challenges.
“We also understand that the impact of crime can be higher in rural areas, where the livelihoods of farmers and small holders, as well as economic opportunities presented by tourism, can be seriously affected.
“With this in mind, we have written a rural crime strategy specifically tailored to our remote communities, who we want to ensure, can feel safe and be safe.”
Dyfed-Powys follows other police forces across the UK who have created their own rural crime taskforce, including Derbyshire, North Yorkshire, Hampshire and Suffolk.
