Priorities need to change to fight against rural crime

OUR county police recently held its annual Rural Crime week and our Police and Crime Commissioner appears to be very pleased that the week was focussed on fighting wildlife crime.

Dreadful things like hare coursing do need to be tackled but should that be the force’s top rural priority?

I am constantly hearing from the rural community that they want protection first for their work critical property.

The NFU Mutual recently published its annual assessment of the insurance cost of rural crime, being driven by thefts of tractors, quad bikes and other farm vehicles.

The average financial impact of a crime on rural business owners is at least £4,800.

Although NFU Mutual reported a 7.6% drop for Gloucestershire (down to just under £1.6m in 2019), compared to a 9% increase nationally, that reduction still leaves us the worst in the South West.

Since 2013 the annual insurance claim cost of rural crime nationally, has increased by around a fifth (from £44.5M to £54.3M).

But in Gloucestershire over the same time period, rural crime is now nearly double what it was (from £820,000 to almost £1.6m).

Over the last eight years, our county has suffered from one of the worst rates of rural crime cost per 100,000 population in the whole country.

My experience with people who live and work in rural areas of Gloucestershire shows that theft can be devastating for businesses and families.

Our Commissioner needs to get his priorities right on rural crime.

Chris Nelson Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Gloucestershire