New Rural Crime Awareness Campaign Launched

A new digital awareness campaign to support rural communities across Northern Ireland has been launched by the PSNI and the Rural Crime Partnership group to mark Rural Crime Week NI 2024 – Monday 23rd to Friday 27th September.

The Rural Crime Partnership (RCP), is comprised of the PSNI, Department of Justice (DoJ), Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Young Farmers' Clubs (YFC), Police and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSP), the Federation of Small Businesses and NFU Mutual. The RCP enables police and rural organisations to join forces to tackle rural crime together, and take forward recommendations and initiatives around preventing rural criminality.

Partnership working has enabled all representatives to understand the experiences of those impacted by rural crime and establish an appropriate programme of work to focus on tackling it. Crime can seriously affect the livelihoods of people working and living in rural communities. The partners have joined forces to promote an awareness week, to highlight the support available to the public and the importance of encouraging more reporting to police.

Rural Crime lead for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: "Rural crime is a huge priority for police and it's a much wider issue than plant theft, livestock theft, cold-calling and burglaries, so it's extremely important that we, as a group, come together to highlight how serious we treat the matter across Northern Ireland. All of those involved in the RCP want to tackle rural crime as a whole and by reporting crime to police, this will enable the group to work together to identify patterns which will assist our investigations, and set future group priorities to help reduce this type of crime overall, allowing these types of awareness initiatives to occur.

"We know from our work with victims of crime that every incident has an impact on individuals, their families and the entire community, so our work continues with those affected by rural crime, in a bid to prevent and detect crime, whilst apprehending criminals who seek to target rural communities in both Northern Ireland and across the border. "Officers in local districts work proactively within the communities they serve alongside partner agencies at a local level to address rural crime, and the work of our local officers is often supplemented by officers from specialist departments, including Roads Policing and Organised Crime Branch, who work with counterparts in other agencies and cross border with An Gardaí Siochanna to combat organised criminality. We have expert Analysts who provide data which is used to inform policing activity and to help ensure that our limited resources are properly directed to where and when they are needed most. Crime Prevention Officers also work locally alongside our officers, stakeholders and the community, to address crime in rural communities and they often organise schemes including property marking, in a bid to deter thieves.

"Unfortunately rural crime is not something that will go away overnight, but by making the public more aware of who is involved in the group, what advice is available and how you can help us help you by contributing towards making the area where you live, your property or your business safer, the more hopeful we are of the future support that will follow to tackle crime and decrease incidents.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: "I welcome the launch of Rural Crime Week which highlights the challenges faced by rural businesses and communities and the way in which we can all play our part in reporting crimes, including the theft of high value farm equipment, and which cost the local economy approximately £2m last year.

"My Department is fully committed to working with all partners, including rural businesses and communities, to ensure that we all feel safe where we live and work. Crime in rural communities can have a knock-on effect on all of us and I am very aware of the impact that such crime has on victims and the consequences for both businesses and the economy and also for people's sense of security.

"This campaign will provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the signs of rural crime and encourage the public to report them using the usual methods, including reporting anonymously via Crimestoppers. It is only by reporting crimes that we can begin to tackle those who seek to target the rural community in this way."

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said: "I am delighted to be part of the launch of Rural Crime Week along with Justice Minister Naomi Long and members of the PSNI. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is a member of the Rural Crime Partnership.

"Organised crime groups target and exploit rural communities. This criminality takes various forms including waste crime, animal and machinery theft and illegal puppy breeding and smuggling, the profits from which fund further criminality. Crime prevention, awareness and education are key to stopping criminals, specifically around the topic of waste crime.

"The Rural Crime Partnership is a vital tool which enables DAERA to participate in joint operations and partner agency co-operation which is key in tackling rural crime in Northern Ireland. Working together utilising each other's powers and knowledge is critical to our joint success."

To report rural crime, phone 101 or 999 in an emergency. For more information on rural crime prevention please visit: www.psni.police.uk/safety-and-support/keeping-safe/rural-crime-prevention.