TVP’s new all-terrain vehicle in drive to tackle rural crime

Thames Valley Police has become the first force in the UK to introduce a marked all-terrain utility vehicle into its fleet to help tackle rural crime.

The new high-performance, rugged vehicle is designed to handle any terrain, even in the toughest of conditions. This means officers will now to able to get to remote and challenging rural areas that were previously difficult to access.

Superintendent Kath Lowe, local police area commander of Cherwell and West Oxon, said: “Crime in rural Oxfordshire can range from theft of agricultural and construction plant and machinery, to wildlife crimes like hare coursing and poaching, and the theft of diesel and staddle stones.

“A significant number of the crimes we are dealing with out of Carterton are rurally based. However, a serious issue for us has been getting to crime scenes because of how remote they are. Before now, our only vehicles at Carterton were Panda cars, which are fine on the road but don’t have the capabilities for tackling rough, off-road terrain.”

The RTVX900 has been provided by Thame-based manufacturer Kubota and Supt Lowe said it will enable them to reach a much higher percentage of rural crimes than ever before.

“This is going to help us to further improve the service we can provide to our local community,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that all the communities we serve have the confidence that Thames Valley Police is working hard to prevent rural crime and that if they are affected, they can report it and appropriate action will be taken.”

According to insurer NFU Mutual, crime costs rural communities in the region of £1.9 million each year.

Karen Tipping, Kubota UK’s marketing manager, said: “We know that from speaking to our customers in the farming industry that rural crime is a serious issue. Any measures that can help reduce these risks are therefore good news for these areas.”