Initiatives to tackle rural and agricultural crime

Suffolk Constabulary is building stronger links with the farming community to reduce rural and agricultural crime. Over the next three months, officers from the Babergh district safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) will be handing out information packs as part of the force’s ‘farmers fighting crime’ initiative. The packs will contain a farm survey, information on Police Direct Farmwatch and Horsewatch, information on SNTs, a neighbourhood watch reporting form, a leaflet on safe storage of fertiliser, a tracker brochure and SmartWater newsletter.

The campaign has been funded by Suffolk Police Authority from its Partnership Fund budget. SNT officers devise projects to respond to local issues or are approached by partners or local residents with ideas to help tackle issues identified as priorities for their area and the officers can then apply to the police authority for funding.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) and Insurer NFU Mutual are also supporting the ‘farmers fighting crime’ campaign. The Lavenham and Ipswich offices have teamed up to support the campaign and will sponsor some of the costs involved in taking the initiative further.

Inspector Paul Crick of the Babergh SNTs said: “There are approximately 400 farms in the Babergh area, which represents a large proportion of the community. This campaign will allow us to improve our communication with them and when the consultation surveys are returned, further decisions can be made as to how we can all work more closely to reduce crime.”

David Card, NFU group secretary based at the Lavenham office, said: “This project is an excellent example of the farming community working with the police to tackle the serious issue of organised crime targeting the theft of expensive tractors and other agricultural equipment. It is hoped that the scheme being piloted here will be rolled out across Suffolk.”

Mr Card added that rural crime has been high on the agenda of Suffolk Police and the NFU supports Suffolk’s businesses fight against crime, holding regular meetings with the police, including the chief constable and the chairman of Suffolk Police Authority.

Verity Line, Babergh district crime reduction officer, said: “We hope that by meeting all farmers and gamekeepers that we will be able to improve our intelligence network and ability to share information with them more professionally. These groups are our eyes and ears in rural locations. They will know when a vehicle is out of place and we should seek to build these relationships and capture this knowledge. The response so far to the campaign has been very positive.”

Last year around £42 million worth of tractors, diggers, all terrain vehicles and trailers were stolen from rural areas around the UK and the figure is rising. In Suffolk, the annual cost of agricultural theft is estimated to be at least half a million pounds.