Focus on Rural Crime: 6 - 13 October 2019

Police, partners and OPCC working together to safeguard rural communities

This week Devon and Cornwall Police highlights the work that goes on year round to prevent rural crime and to safeguard landowners, farmers, the public and animals in our countryside communities.

Rural Affairs officers - PC Chris Collins in Cornwall and PC Martin Beck in Devon - work with neighbourhood teams across the force area and with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for engagement events.

A rural No Cold Callers scheme in association with NFU Mutual and Trading Standards will be launched in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset to help combat the issue of itinerant rogue traders and acquisitive criminals who target rural communities and remote farms or business. Further information will be available shortly.

On Sunday 6th October PC Chris Collins along with the Helston neighbourhood team and police cadets spoke to farmers at the Helston Farmers Market and raised awareness of livestock worrying at Roughtor and on Bodmin Moor.

PC Collins said: "We were very pleased with the number of people that we spoke to on Bodmin Moor, and received a lot of positive feedback. The moors are a unique environment and we would always ask people to treat them with respect."

PC Martin Beck said: "We work closely with neighbourhood teams to deliver a range of initiatives aimed at reducing and detecting rural crime, and in turn Devon & Cornwall Police has a range of invaluable partnership arrangements with organisations whose main focus is the rural community and rural business.

"At any time of the year, not just during this week where we focus on rural issues, we would urge the public in our rural communities, whether they are farmers or members of the public, to stay in touch with us and what we do. There are range of methods of doing this such as Farm Watch, Devon & Cornwall Alert and the forthcoming cold callers scheme."

Farm Watch: www.dc.police.uk/farmwatch

Horse Watch www.dc.police.uk/horsewatch

Devon & Cornwall Alert: www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/our-services/devon-and-cornwall-alert/

Devon & Cornwall Police Rural Affairs on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DCPoliceRural_C

Also taking place this week, some of which being continuations of ongoing initiatives, are:

Monday 7th October

Equine safety engagement and tack marking at Bickleigh.

Working with Angling Trust volunteer bailiffs on the River Tavy. Operation Leviathan is ongoing and is building a nretwork of eyes and ears protecting our waterways.

Fisheries enforcement in association with the Environment Agency.

Tuesday 8th October

Rural crime surgery at Mole Valley farmers in Liskeard.

Wednesday 9th October

Rural crime surgery at the Truro livestock market.

Engagement at the Tavistock Goose Fair.

Thursday 10th October

Rural crime surgery at Hallworthy.

Awareness raising on Dartmoor of theft from vehicles and livestock worrying.

Friday 11th October

Rural crime surgery at Cornwall Farmers Ltd in Wadebridge.

Rural crime surgery at Exeter Farmers Market.

During the week and coming weekend the Rural Affairs officers will be working with other Devon and Cornwall Police officers, the Environment Agency and Forestry England on active operations which target fisheries enforcement, poaching of fish and livestock, livestock worrying and off-road riding.

www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/on-the-road/off-road

Also, launched last month, Operation Owl continues. Operation Owl is a national campaign to raise awareness of raptor persecution, the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Species such as golden eagles, peregrine falcons, buzzards, red kites and hen harriers are shot, poisoned and illegally trapped, as well as having their nests disturbed.

Operation Owl is a national initiative to help stop this practice and bring offenders to justice.

Pictured: Police cadets and neighbourhood officers at Roughtor.