PCC announces investment in security equipment to robustly tackle rural crime

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has funded new security equipment as part of her mission to crack down on countryside crime and protect rural livelihoods.

The County Durham and Darlington PCC has invested just over £5k in 20 new security lights, 30 perimeter alarms, 15 covert trail cameras and 10 security cameras to deter crime and protect residents and businesses in Weardale and Consett.

The security cameras and trail cameras will be loaned out to farmers by the PCC’s Rural Co-ordinators to prevent agricultural machinery and plant theft while the remaining equipment will be available for Consett, Stanhope and Barnard Castle police stations to tighten security at properties vulnerable to rural criminality.

The cameras will run independently of the force and any footage of crime will only be handed over to police with the owner’s permission.

Safer Countryside is one of six key priorities in the Commissioner’s Police, Crime and Justice Plan, reflecting the views of thousands of residents and businesses across the force area.  

A recent survey undertaken by the PCC revealed 82% of rural residents had experienced fly-tipping while 23% had experienced vehicle theft and 19% livestock theft. Additionally, 9% had experienced plant theft and crop damage and 15% had experienced dog attacks on livestock.

As part of a series of Police and Crime Plan commitments designed to increase support and protection for rural communities, the PCC has vowed to work with rural communities to help secure rural businesses and prevent theft and crime and to ensure all forms of rural crime are effectively managed.

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “Every resident and business deserves to feel protected and safe, regardless of their postcode. Illegal activities such as fly-tipping and plant and machinery theft costs our rural businesses millions of pounds each year and immeasurable harm to emotional wellbeing, both to the individuals affected and entire communities.

“I have listened to residents, farmers and businesses by making rural crime a priority in my Police, Crime and Justice Plan and this investment is just one example of a whole catalogue of changes and improvements I am driving to make our countryside more impenetrable by criminals.

“Let me be very clear: rural crime is taken extremely seriously by the force and together, with our communities, we will continue to do everything possible to prevent these costly and devastating losses.”  

Last year, the PCC launched the Rurali project which saw more than £200k of Safer Streets funding invested into two new Ruralwatch Coordinators and a dedicated intelligence officer to capture and develop intelligence gleaned from Ruralwatch WhatsApp groups to target offenders.

The initiative is enabling more of the public’s concerns and suspicions about rural crime to be actioned quickly to prevent further harm and losses, bring more criminals to justice, and increasing feelings of safety in the countryside.

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