Week of action to highlight ongoing efforts to tackle rural crime in Dorset
Officers from Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team (RCT) have taken part in a week of action to tackle the crime and issues that matter most to our rural communities.
The National Rural Crime Week of Action, which started on Monday 18 September 2023, saw officers patrol rural transport routes, provide enhanced visibility to residents, target vehicles carrying suspicious loads and engage with the next generation of farmers in order to raise awareness of rural crimes, provide reassurance to communities and deter those looking to commit crime in the county.
Chief Inspector Andy Edwards, from the Dorset County Local Policing Area, said: “The team works hard to prevent crime in rural communities and disrupt serious organised acquisitive crime across the southwest region. This week provided an opportunity for us to highlight the work of the team and give the public an insight into the improvements we have made as a result of Uplift.”
Dorset Police has invested in the RCT where an investment in officers, staff and volunteers has increased the team from a team of three to a team of 17. They have also introduced the Rural Crime Engagement Van to reach our more isolated communities and delivered the first ever South West Region Rural Crime Conference whereby best practise and collaborative opportunities were identified.
On Monday 18 September 2023 the RCT was recognised by the National Police Chiefs’ Council for ‘most innovative partnership to tackle serious and organised acquisitive crime’.
The team’s disruption of criminal networks, specifically the success of a cross-border operation, which led to the seizure of more than £1 million-worth of agricultural machinery was cited, as well as their collaboration with Historic England, delivering Heritage Crime training across the Force area and the delivery of the South West Region Rural Crime Conference.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan said: “It was an honour to see our Rural Crime Team be recognised for their efforts, working with partner agencies to support the rural communities across Dorset. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team to relentlessly pursue and disrupt those who commit serious organised acquisitive crime across Dorset and the wider southwest region and I look forward to seeing what they achieve over the coming years.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “The Rural Crime Team have done the county proud during the National Week of Action. I got to see first-hand the work they did during what turned out to be an incredibly busy week for the whole team and my thanks goes to them on behalf of our rural communities. The good news continues and I must say that I am delighted to see the dedication and professionalism of Dorset Police’s Rural Crime Team recognised by the NPCC with this award for ‘most innovative partnership to tackle serious and organised acquisitive crime’.
“I’d like to thank every member of the team for their continued hard work, it is their passion and determination to tackle rural crime and catch offenders that has led to them winning this award.
“I know that these crimes can have a devastating impact on victims, particularly in rural areas where the thefts are often of machinery or vehicles that play a vital part in people’s livelihoods and the Rural Crime Team have done great work to recover a large amount of stolen goods. Fighting rural crime is a priority within my Police and Crime Plan and I stay committed to ensuring that this team have sufficient resources and the right support to continue to be successful. This award is a testament to their hard work and that investment.”
Chief Inspector Andy Edwards continued: “I am incredibly proud of the work the team have done and will continue to do. I would like to thank the public for their continued support of the Rural Crime Team. No-one knows our rural communities better than the residents who live and work there, so we will build on that knowledge and community intelligence to protect rural communities of Dorset.”
You can follow the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team on Facebook, where crime prevention messages, crime appeals and engagement opportunities are shared here @Dorset Rural Crime Team.
If you have any information or intelligence about anything affecting your community, you can report it using the Intelligence Portal on the front page of the Dorset Police website www.dorset.police.uk
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