CRIME cannot be detected if police don’t know about it – yet one third of rural incidents are never reported.
That’s a statistic Dyfed-Powys Police is aiming to break down as it continues to emphasise the importance of reporting crimes in isolated areas.
The force’s rural crime teams dedicated days of a national week of action against wildlife and rural crime to speaking with farmers, urging them to get in contact if they become victims of crime.
Officers and PCSOs across the four divisions visited livestock markets, met with farming unions and carried out patrols in rural areas with the aim of spreading the message.
Superintendent Robyn Mason, force lead for rural crime, said: “We are doing all we can to tackle rural crime, but we cannot act on what we don’t know about.
“This statistic from the National Rural Crime Network shows us there are victims out there who are not being supported, and crimes that are not being investigated.
“This is not what we want to hear. We have teams dedicated to our rural areas, who understand the impact crime has on farming communities.
“Please, if you are a victim of crime, report it to us so we can investigate the incident. Likewise, if you see anything suspicious that could feed into our intelligence system and prevent future crimes from taking place, please get in touch.”
Supt Mason added that the force was aware of concerns that sometimes exist in rural communities over sharing information with the police, and highlighted the Rural Crime Hotline as a way of reporting anonymously.
Launched by the National Farmers’ Union and powered by Crimestoppers, the hotline and website allow people to report suspicious behaviour or any type of crime without sharing personal information.
Supt Mason said: “We know that some people in our very rural communities are concerned about sharing information with us, as they feel it is harder to be anonymous.
“We would prefer that you contact us so we can get all the details we need, but we understand why you might to choose to pass information via Crimestoppers and the new Rural Crime Hotline.”
Visit www.ruralcrimehotline.co.uk or call the hotline on 0800 783 0137.
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