Deterring rural crime, protecting countryside spaces and promoting community involvement are the focus of the force’s new Rural Watch scheme.
The community-led initiative sees volunteers conduct high-visibility patrols in groups to tackle local concerns and feed into intelligence gathering.
During the first patrol last Thursday (6 November), volunteers and officers walked key routes across Bevercotes Pit Wood, Retford, where they engaged with visitors and noted anything out of the ordinary.
A report compiled by Rural Watch members featured observations and recommendations that will feed into the force’s rural crime work, as well as be passed to any relevant partners.
This included instances of flytipping, graffiti, and signs of antisocial behaviour.
Andy Green, one of the volunteers, said:
“I know my local area well after living here for the last 30 years. I like to work with my local police and help them the best I can to support the community.”
The aim of Rural Watch is to build stronger links between those who know the land best and the officers who protect it.
It also emphasises community spirit so that everyone can contribute towards protecting their property and environment.
Juliet Webber, Nottinghamshire Police’s Rural and Wildlife Crime Partnerships Manager, said:
“This first patrol is a great example of partnership work in action.
“By combining our volunteers’ local knowledge with police support, we can identify any issues, deter potential offenders and assist our specially trained rural and wildlife crime officers in gathering local intelligence.
“We’re not only deterring crime, but we’re also protecting and improving our shared rural spaces.
“We spotted things that might otherwise get missed, and now those observations will help us and our partners shape future work.
“We’re committed to supporting our rural communities and I’d encourage any residents out there to get signed up.”
Those who want to get involved in Rural Watch can email ruralcrime@notts.police.uk
Rural Watch is a partnership scheme with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Nottinghamshire, Nottinghamshire Police, Bassetlaw District Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council.
The OPCC has invested £115,000 in the scheme through the Safer4All programme.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said:
“The Rural Watch scheme is a great way of working shoulder-to-shoulder with our rural communities and giving extra eyes and ears to our rural beat officers.
“Protecting our rural communities is important to me and the delivery of my Police and Crime Plan.
“This innovative scheme allows Nottinghamshire Police to capture more information and intelligence about rural crime and antisocial behaviour, enabling officers to act swiftly to tackle issues that matter most to local people.
“It also gives trust and confidence to rural communities and a sense of ownership and community spirit to our brilliant volunteers.”
