I recently chaired the second annual conference of the National Rural Crime Network in London. This was attended by more than 100 delegates from across the British Isles and a comprehensive and wide-ranging series of rural crime issues were discussed. All of these issues are relevant to us here in Suffolk.
We are fortunate to have a very good rural crime team in the Constabulary which has been expanded over the years – they have had some very good results recently in solving crimes such as livestock worrying and theft of tools and machinery. That said, I completely recognise all rural police forces such as Suffolk need more capacity and better resourcing which (yet again) leads me to comment on the reprehensible level of funding received from the government in our core Home Office grant.
In my opinion, if our county had additional policing resources the rural crime team and others could benefit from additional capacity, and performance across the whole force would improve even further. This was a common theme at the conference and the two ministers in attendance – the Farms Minister, Daniel Zeitner and Lord Hunt of Flint from the Home Office - could not possibly have failed to understand the increasing frustration and resentment about the total lack of police funding reform. The urban bias simply must be rectified – I hope ministers and their officials were listening.
The consequences of this apparent stubbornness to consider the needs of our rural communities are becoming increasingly clear – two national surveys on rural policing made it crystal clear there is growing unease and even cynicism about reporting crime in rural areas. That said I can say that the role of all PCCs is to look after victims of crime and attend to their needs, ensure the victims’ code is fully applied in all cases without exception and to hold the Chief Constable to account.
In Suffolk – largely down to the extra council tax funding you have paid in the last four years - the performance in our contact and control room has seen a remarkable and stellar improvement and is now one of the best performing facilities nationally. But I can only continue to implore you all to report all crimes – without that evidence it makes optimising policing resources very difficult and please don’t forget as your PCC I can personally take forward issues with the Constabulary if there is cause for dissatisfaction. That is a crucial role for all PCCs which will help improve public trust and confidence.
The delegates at the Conference warmly received a resume of the acclaimed Willow Project that focussed on the devastating effects of domestic abuse and violence on victims in remote areas of rural Derbyshire. Many of these disturbing scenarios almost certainly occur in rural Suffolk and I really do look forward to discussing this with our voluntary sector colleagues locally to see what more can be done to help. At next year’s conference this topic will be expanded further and include a focus on combating illegal drug use, illegal immigration and forced labour.
At our inaugural conference last year, the focus was on the release of our network’s report on the effects of organised crime groups on rural communities. This landmark research highlighted the very damaging consequences of these illicit activities in several areas and a major concern was waste crime and especially fly-tipping. Ministers were also reminded that DEFRA needs to step up once again and collate accurate data on waste crime prevalence and costs, so this curse on the countryside can be tackled robustly and without further delay. There has never been any justification for private landowners to pay for site clearance on their property and when criminals are successfully prosecuted, I think we should maximise the use of the Proceeds of Crime Act to make them pay and compensate the victims. Once again, the dead hand of HM Treasury syphons off much of this extra funding which in my view could help provide the much-needed resources required – perhaps another example of selective hearing in a different government department at our expense?
The theft of plant and machinery, power tools, fuel and metal plus heritage crime continues to be a major worry for rural businesses and residents alike, and I would like to assure everyone the Network will not shirk its responsibilities to the countryside and lobby relevant government departments accordingly. Indeed, I think it’s time to turn up the volume accordingly and as Churchill said, “It is the courage to continue that counts”. Exactly!
Published in Bury Free Press in April 2025