Partnership working highlighted in regional week of action
Last week, officers from the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team were out across the county as part of a regional week of action to prevent, tackle, and drive down rural crime.
The regional rural crime week of action, which started on Monday 20 May 2024, saw officers from Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Gloucester, Avon & Somerset and Devon & Cornwall take part in a number of targeted operations and high-visibility patrols, aimed at disrupting and preventing criminal activity in the South West.
Throughout the week, the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team visited previous victims of crime and distributed ‘SelectaDNA’ kits to prevent theft of agricultural equipment. The team also used the engagement van to provide a police presence in rural communities, provided a talk as part of a livestock-worrying event in Dorchester, and worked with partners to tackle issues such as fly tipping, scrap metal theft and illegal waste carriers.
Efforts from partnership working led to:
- 1 x arrest for drug driving
- 5 x fixed penalty notice for driving offences
- 2 x persons reported for excess load
- 3 x stop searches
- 1 x ticket for no MOT
- 8 x waste carrier licences checked
- 2 x tickets issued for using mobile phones whilst driving
As part of the week of action the team spent the evening of Tuesday 21 May carrying out intelligence-led anti-poaching and anti-hare coursing patrols, with support from the Roads Policing Unit and the Drones Team. Working together, the team identified a stolen van which was operating on cloned registration plates in Spetisbury, resulting in an arrest.
During the evening, the team also responded to reports of suspected poaching in the East Morden area. One vehicle was stopped, and three people were searched after fields in the area had been driven through and gates had suffered substantial damage.
Officers also intercepted a second vehicle believed to be linked to the report of poaching. The occupants of the vehicle fled the scene on foot; the vehicle has since been confirmed as stolen and the incident remains under investigation.
Inspector Chrissie Plumley of the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team said: “The aim of the regional week of action is to work closely with neighbouring forces, to share intelligence and tackle all types of rural crime and the offenders committing them.
“Along with several arrests and multiple charges, the team have engaged with community members and stakeholders, visited local victims of theft, and delivered crime prevention advice in many rural locations.
“Rural crime is something we tackle consistently throughout the year, and I am incredibly proud of the work the team have done as part of the regional week of action.
“We want people living in rural areas of Dorset to know that we are committed to doing everything we can to protect them, and I hope that the team’s efforts are reassuring to rural communities that we are listening to them, and that action is being taken to reduce and prevent crime.”
If you have any information relating to issues affecting your community, you can report it using the Intelligence Portal on the front page of the Dorset Police website: www.dorset.police.uk
For information about upcoming engagement events and the latest crime prevention advice, follow the Dorset Rural Crime Team on social media:
Facebook: Dorset Police Rural Crime Team
Instagram: Dorset Police Rural Crime Team
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