Rural parts of England and Wales are living in fear of crime, unhappy with police and feeling isolated and vulnerable, according to the 2018 National Rural Crime Survey, carried out for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).
Some of the most common concerns are not solely policing matters, such as fly tipping and speeding – 49 per cent of respondents in North Yorkshire said they had seen evidence of fly tipping in the past year, topping the list of offences, with speeding second at 35 per cent.
Julia Mulligan, Harrogate-based North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of the National Rural Crime Network, which carried out the survey, called the results stark and worrying, but was encouraged by positive signs in North Yorkshire.
She said: “Here, I am confident we are taking the concerns of rural residents seriously and I know that the North Yorkshire Rural Taskforce, formed after the last Rural Crime Survey in 2015, is making a real difference on the ground. I want to pay tribute to all those who are working hard at the heart of their community and hope their work is now emulated elsewhere in the country.
“As ever though, there is no room for complacency and nationally, this is definitely a wake up call. I will be studying the results very carefully to ensure that the results are taken seriously. I will continue to fight for rural communities, who should not have to put up with sub-standard services just because of where they live. This simply cannot be tolerated. Despite the passionate and professional police officers working incredibly hard day-in, day-out, them and the communities they serve are being let down because priorities lie elsewhere.
“Every decision affecting national policing moving forwards, from funding to safety and security, has to be set against the findings of this report. This report needs to be listened to in the future when decisions on funding are being made, we can no longer continue to see funding being sucked from rural areas to urban. It simply isn’t good enough and politicians need to sit up and listen.
“The results of the National Rural Crime Survey, and the wider feedback from rural communities, should not be underestimated. It is incumbent on policing, partners and on government and us all to listen, and to act.”
Compared to a first survey in 2015, the number of crimes going unreported to the police nationwide is up by a third for residents and two-thirds by businesses in rural places – mainly because they do not feel the police and criminal justice system understand the issues or do anything about them. Too often rural communities are considered safe and prosperous places, the report complains.
Near six in ten, 59 per cent of North Yorkshire farmers and rural-specific business owners have been a victim of crime over the past 12 months with 28 per cent saying they are fairly or very worried about becoming a victim of crime.
About the survey
Research was carried out between April 18 and June 10, by independent research company The Buzzz. In total 20,252 responses were received from across England and Wales.
The survey was commissioned by the National Rural Crime Network, made up of 30 PCCs. For the full report and its recommendations visit www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net/survey.
This month Operation Eyeball was formed by police and councils to tackle fly tipping in rural parts of North Yorkshire and the City of York. To report fly tipping to your local council visit: https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping.
Picture by Mark Rowe; door knocker, Brougham Hall, Cumbria.
