The Countryside Alliance is seeking views from farmers and those who live in rural areas to uncover the “true level” of crime in the UK countryside.
The annual survey has been launched once again in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and will remain open for responses until Sunday, November 5.
The Countryside Alliance said the survey requires responses from those who work or live in rural areas to give their views on rural crimes.
The rural campaigning organisation will also be researching the impact that these crimes have on wider communities in rural areas and how the future of crime prevention and rural policing should be shaped.
The Countryside Alliance said that the true extent of rural crime is underreported, which is why it is important that everyone who lives and works in rural areas takes the time to respond to this survey.
Rural crime survey 2022
The Countryside Alliance’s 2022 rural crime survey revealed that 97% of those surveyed considered rural crime to be a “significant” issue in their community.
As well as this, almost half (49%) of respondents said they believe that police do not take rural crime seriously.
90% of the 2,016 respondents reported that they had not seen any police officers in their area in the last week.
Director of policy and campaigns for the Countryside Alliance, Sarah Lee, said: “The threat of crime can be as detrimental to people’s feeling of safety as crimes themselves and we also want to build a clear picture of the issue to shape future policing delivery and ensure funding is spent where it is most needed, rather than simply being channelled to urban conurbations.
“The ultimate aim is to make rural communities safer.”
