Tackling rural crime

Rural Advisers from the East office have recently met with Northants, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Police to ensure rural crime remains a priority and that the concerns of landowners and rural businesses are fully understood.

Forces acknowledged ongoing budget pressures, but all reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining rural teams and improving visibility in remote areas. We continue to stress the importance of resourcing specialist officers and equipment.

Updates on rural policing highlighted better intelligence sharing and stronger cross‑border cooperation. We pressed for clearer points of contact and more consistent communication with landowners following incidents.

Rural theft remains a major issue, particularly machinery, GPS and fuel. Forces outlined targeted patrols and increased use of technology, and we reiterated the need for firm follow‑up and meaningful sentencing. There have been some good prosecutions made in Cambridgeshire.

On fly‑tipping, all forces recognised the scale of the problem. We discussed more joint operations with local authorities and improved evidence gathering to support prosecutions.

With new powers now available, we encouraged robust enforcement on hare coursing and deer poaching. Forces reported more vehicle seizures and better coordination across county borders. There have been increased incidents of deer poaching however we have been assured by the forces, that this is more likely due to an increase in actual reporting rather than number of incidents.

We raised concerns about arson, particularly during dry spells, and forces are reviewing patrol patterns and links with fire services. Heritage crime also remains an issue, and we emphasised the need for specialist knowledge and clearer reporting routes.

Across all meetings, our message was consistent: rural crime must be treated with the same seriousness as urban crime, and reporting must lead to visible action. We will continue to work closely with police forces and keep members updated.