A neighbourhood police team is showing its ongoing commitment to tackling rural crime by visiting farms individually to offer vital crime prevention advice.
Officers from the Rushcliffe South Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) have produced ‘Rural Crime Packs’ full of advice and information to hand out on visits to farms across the community.
The visits, in which neighbourhood officers speak with farmers individually, are already underway and the team hopes to visit every farm in the area over the coming months.
The initiative could also be rolled out across other parts of the county.
Police Constable Cai Kemish and Sergeant Brett Price, of the neighbourhood policing team, came up with the idea after a number of thefts from farms in the autumn of 2022.
PC Kemish said: “We are always looking at ways to prevent crime before it occurs and this seemed a perfect way to engage with some of the most isolated members of our community.
“I have friends and family in the agricultural sector so have an understanding of how crime can impact farming communities through this as well as through my job.
“The visits are an opportunity for us to talk through any crime concerns they may have and discuss the issues which matter most to them.
“I have designed the pack to include information from Nottinghamshire Police and partner and charity organisations within the rural sector, as well as contact information for the rural beat officer who covers their area.”
The packs provide details on how farmers can appropriately report incidents and what information to relay to police.
PC Kemish said: “Once a substantial number of farms have been visited, the information gathered can be used to assist officers and staff in the force control room to further understand rural crime.
“We also hope the visits will highlight previously less reported issues and allow us to evaluate whether the initiative has improved the communication, engagement and confidence between rural communities and the police.
“We are hoping this initiative will be a success and the idea is easily replicable in other rural areas across Nottinghamshire.”
Inspector Rob Lawton, the neighbourhood policing inspector for Rushcliffe, said: “This is a fantastic initiative which will really help us to reach out to rural communities and have a two-way conversation about the crime priorities which matter to them.
“I am very proud of my officers for developing this initiative and it is a brilliant example of how neighbourhood policing can make a difference.
“We will continue to use every tactic at our disposal to tackle all rural crime and protect those who live in our more isolated communities.”
Nottinghamshire Police is focusing on the work carried out by officers in the community this week as part of neighbourhood policing week of action, which runs from 23-29 January 2023.
The ‘Rural Crime Pack’ includes:
- Police and Crime Commissioner’s Rural Crime Plan;
- What3Words handout;
- Neighbourhood Alert cards;
- Farming Community Network charity cards;
- Rural crime prevention booklet;
- Yellow Wellies Foundation booklet;
- NPT and social media contacts;
- Nottinghamshire Police trailer stickers (where appropriate).
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