Call for more police resources as survey shows rural crime rise

A survey has found that most people in the countryside reported an increase in rural crime over the last 12 months
A survey has found that most people in the countryside reported an increase in rural crime over the last 12 months

Seven-in-ten people based in the countryside reported an increase in rural crime incidents over the last 12 months, a survey has highlighted.

Crimes most recorded include fly-tipping, agricultural machinery theft and trespass, with respondents wanting the police to prioritise tackling them.

The survey of 3,000 people, undertaken by the Countryside Alliance, shows that almost half of respondents felt intimidated by criminals or criminality over the last year.

Nine-in-ten said they had not seen an officer in the last week - while more than seven-in-ten said they had witnessed a reduction in the number of officers or police stations in their local area.

Officer numbers dropped by more than 20,000 between 2010 and 2018 while around half the UK's police stations with front counters, at least 667 stations, have been closed, particularly affecting rural areas.

Rural crime including thefts, burglaries and fly-tipping cost an estimated £43.3m last year with thefts of agricultural vehicles remaining stubbornly high at a cost of £9.1m.

And figures released by Defra show that local authorities had recorded almost one million incidents of fly-tipping in the year leading up to the pandemic.

But particularly, the Countryside Alliance's survey showed that there is a serious problem of crime being underreported in rural areas, with one-in-four not reporting the crime they were a victim of.

Those surveyed felt it was either a waste of time to report it or that the police would not be able to do anything.

This lends an explanation to the statistic of 46% of people not thinking that the police take rural crime seriously and 59% of people disagreeing with the statement that the police are spending more time on tackling rural crime.

Sarah Lee, director of policy at the Countryside Alliance, said it was clear from the survey results that there was a more to do in tackling the plight of rural crime.

“Those living in the countryside deserve to have their voice and policing concerns listened to," she said.

“Police resources must be distributed fairly and officers need to be sufficiently trained and equipped to deal with the type of crimes being carried out in the countryside, in all weathers and all terrains.

“There's a clear perception among many in the countryside that rural crime is not taken seriously enough. This fear is exacerbated when officers are not seen to be out and about on patrol.”