Week of action against rural crime in Thames Valley

Police forces across the South East are working together in a cross-border effort to crack down on rural crime this week.

Rural crime is defined as offences that relate to farms, agriculture, wildlife, the environment and heritage sites, where they are targeted due to their isolation or rural location.

It can cover everything from injuring wildlife to thefts affecting farmers or owners of rural businesses, including being targeted for expensive of specialist equipment.

This is of particular concern in RBWM. Last March, a farmer called for better support from police over rural crime, having been shocked by the crime figures.

In August, a swan-rescue charity in Datchet called for police to take wildlife crime more seriously, following a spate of catapult and dog attacks on swans and other wildlife.

The force has taken a few steps to address these concerns. It set up a dedicated Rural Crime Taskforce, now supported by additional funding.

In December, TVP launched an off-road motorcycle team to crack down on crimes and antisocial behaviour taking place in areas hard to reach by car.

Since Monday (February 26), police have been disrupting offenders and stopping suspicious vehicles on the road network. This will continue until Friday (March 1).

It is part of a newly set-up South East Partnership Against Rural Crime (SEPARC), including Thames Valley, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey and Sussex police forces.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt, force lead for rural crime, said:

“We know criminals use the road networks and docks to transport stolen goods so we will be targeting our operations on those areas, as well as high-visibility patrols and visiting businesses to provide crime prevention advice.”

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said: “Rural crime has a significant impact and can leave our most isolated communities feeling particularly vulnerable.

“The launch of SEPARC will establish cross-border collaboration between police forces across the South East in tackling the most serious and organised rural crime.”