Protecting Rural Communities

Protecting Rural Communities

Dear Resident

Yesterday Neighbourhood Watch attended the annual Neighbourhood conference hosted jointly by Thames Valley Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

This year the theme was Rural Communities. The TVP Rural Crime Task Force discussed the issues and how they are tackling them. There are many types of rural crime including   machinery theft, intimidation, fly-tipping (waste crime), nighthawking (stripping buildings) and wildlife crime such as hare coursing.

Six years ago TVP were being lambasted by the farming and rural communities at meetings for their lack of action on rural crime. TVP responded by creating a task force to focus on this.

The task force gives advice to rural communities on protecting their property. It also deters and pursues all offenders, without exception. As these offences are often perpetrated by Organised Crime Groups operating at a national or international level the team liaise with other police forces and the National Rural Crime Unit.

This has led to considerable success, over the past 12 months 252 people have been arrested for 383 offences, £4.2 million of stolen property recovered, 266 properties have received crime prevention advice and hare coursing has reduced from 280 offences in 2021 to 38 in 2025.

The goal is to make rural areas a hostile environment for criminal activity.

During the conference Superintendent Andy Huddleston, lead for the National Rural Crimes Unit congratulated TVP on being the best police force on tackling rural crime.

He also advised setting up rural watches along the lines of Neighbourhood Watch, with the addition of Whatsapp groups to share intel and alert neighbours.

Stay safe!

Best wishes,

Paul

Paul Adkins