New strategy to tackle rural crime in Wales

Domestic abuse in rural Wales is being prioritised in a new six-point action plan to tackle crime in the Welsh countryside.

The Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2023-2025, a joint initiative between the country’s four police forces and the Welsh government, suggests that the conditions that give rise to domestic abuse, and to mental health crises, are often very different in rural areas compared with urban regions.

This is why these have been made priority areas for rural officers over the next two years. Officers and partner agencies will be trained to deal with incidents.

See also: Domestic abuse ‘a hidden rural issue’ that needs exposing

The launch of the new strategy on Thursday (27 April) comes amid a warning that rural crime in Wales is showing signs of returning to pre-pandemic levels. Rural theft alone was estimated to have cost £1.3m in 2021.

Most rural offences and crimes reported to Welsh police forces involve farms and include theft, livestock attacks by dogs, arson and burglary.

The strategy has, therefore, made tackling farm crime another priority, with co-ordinated action planned between the police and organisations including farming unions.

Wales’ rural and wildlife crime co-ordinator Rob Taylor said: “Rural and wildlife crime can have a devastating impact, affecting rural communities, farmers and wildlife, as well as habitats and our heritage.

“We will follow the 4P plan to achieve success – prepare, prevent, pursue and protect. This means preparing for when such crimes might occur, preventing and deterring people from engaging in these offences, relentlessly pursuing offenders, and protecting rural communities and wildlife from the impact of crime.”

There will be a focus too on bird crime, by tackling nest and habitat destruction and poisoning, and offences involving bats, badgers and other mammals.

Resources will also be channelled into preventing fly-tipping and illegal off-roading.