PCCs across the South West launch new rural crime survey

Police and Crime Commissioners across the South West have come together to launch a survey to explore how crime is affecting rural communities.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson and his counterparts in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire are hoping the survey will help them to understand how their county's rural communities are affected by crime.

Mr Wilkinson said: “In an agricultural county like Wiltshire, it’s so important to keep on top of how Wiltshire Police are responding to and dealing with all forms of rural crime. A lot of work has gone into improving this as a police force and I included it in the priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan.

“I’m keen to understand what improvements have been made since the National Rural Crime Network ran a similar survey in 2018, and what we still need to put more resource into. By taking a couple of minutes out of your day to complete this survey you will be helping me to understand how I can continue to make Wiltshire safer.”

In Wiltshire, the Rural Crime Team cover all heritage and wildlife crime including theft of livestock and machinery, fly tipping, poaching and hare coursing to name a few.

The survey asks rural residents if they have been the victim of any crimes in the last 12 months as well as asking what rural crimes concern them the most.

You can take the survey online here.

Published Friday 9 June 2023