Farmers Weekly on the beat with rural police

Rural crime cost farmers almost £53 million in 2011, a rise of 6%, with rural theft topping the list. Tools, heating oil, diesel, metal and machinery were the most targeted items.

One rural police force bucking the national trend is Basingstoke’s rural safe neighbourhood police team. They had just 144 crimes reported last year, fewer than some beats have in a day.

They say they’ve done this by tackling rural crime head on and taking a proactive approach to crime prevention.

Farmer’s Weekly reporter Robyn Vinter joined the team headed by Sgt Cullis for a night policing rural crime with Operation Intercept.

The Operation’s aim was to spot check four wheel-drives and vans, vehicles which have been linked to rural crime on farms.  

Watch the video to see how they get on.

For more on this topic

Video: Rural police – top tips for beating crime

See our rural crime page where you can report crime in your area