Farmers and landowners in Surrey have shared their views on key issues during the latest Rural Crime Forum in the county hosted by the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.
Ellie Vesey-Thompson, Surrey Police’s Rural Crime Tactical Lead Chief Inspector Chris Tinney and the Force’s Rural Crime Officers answered questions from members of the rural community who had gathered for the meeting in Wootton near Dorking last week.
Among topics discussed were firearms licensing, the illegal dumping of waste and anti-social driving.
The audience were given an input around spotting the signs of domestic abuse in rural communities and updates on some of the recent Surrey Police initiatives to tackle rural crime issues.
This included details of a recent Force wide operation targeting illegal waste offences which saw 100 commercial vehicles stopped and ten on-the-spot £300 fines handed out.
Ellie is on the board of the National Rural Crime Network and holds the rural crime remit for the PCC’s office.
Real impact
She said: “Rural crime can take many forms and where it occurs can often leave a real impact on those communities affected.
“Last week’s meeting was really constructive and helps give our farmers and landowners an opportunity to express their views and have their voice heard on issues that matter to them.
“That could be poaching, anti-social driving or concerns over the theft of fuel given the rising cost – all of which were discussed at the Forum.
Organised criminality
“We know that organised criminality is behind a lot of offences that take place in our rural communities and this type of engagement is really important in helping build the intelligence picture in Surrey.
“There is always more that can be done to tackle criminality impacting our countryside but I hope that holding events like this do give a clear message that rural crime matters and we do take the concerns of our communities seriously.”
