Nearly two thirds (62%) of those in rural communities believe that reporting rural crimes to police is a “waste of time”, the latest Countryside Alliance rural crime survey has revealed.
The results of the survey of 2,016 people, which were published yesterday (Tuesday, February 21), also show that 97% feel that rural crime is a “significant” problem in their community.
90% reported not having seen any police officers in their area in the last week and almost half (49%) believe that police do not take rural crime seriously.
When asked if they felt police could be relied on, only 16% agreed. More than half said that when reporting rural crime, they had been dissatisfied with the response from officers.
The Countryside Alliance said the most common crimes experienced among those surveyed were:
- Fly-tipping;
- Agricultural machinery theft;
- Tresspassing;
- Hare poaching;
- Actions related to animal rights activism.
Director of policy at the Countryside Alliance, Sarah Lee, said the results of the survey suggest that both faith and trust in the police to tackle rural crime has dropped.
“Rural communities have for a long time been resigned to the fact they will receive a poorer level of response from the police when they have a crime committed against them and this is just unacceptable.
“However, it comes against a back drop of increasing and competing pressures on rural police forces who are themselves facing challenges around funding.
“As the review of the police funding formula gets underway this year, we urgently call upon the government to level up rural policing, by increasing funding and resources to rural policing teams”.
Prevention measures
The Countryside Alliance reported that many respondents claimed they had been forced to install crime prevention measures such as security lights; CCTV; or extra security on vehicles.
Others opted for buying guard dogs due to an “increased fear” of rural crime, the organisation said.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, said rural areas are “always at the end of the queue when it comes to crime”.
“The very least people should expect is for the police to attend and investigate a crime but even that is not guaranteed.”
Carmichael said that rural communities needed a “real plan” to tackle crime rather than just “empty promises”.
