The Crop Cop: New 'Force Tractor' named
Almost 300 entries were received from children aged 16 or under and the winning name
Devon & Cornwall Police unveiled the name of its new Force Tractor at a primary school assembly in Mid Devon on 6th July.
The competition, launched in May, invited children aged 16 and under from Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly, to propose names for the tractor.
Almost 300 entries were submitted, and Chief Constable James Vaughan selected the winning name 'The Crop Cop,' put forward by nine-year-old Hazel.
The John Deere tractor, provided free of charge by local agricultural equipment supplier Masons Kings, will be used as an engagement tool by the Rural Affairs team at agricultural shows and events throughout the summer.
PC Clarke Orchard led the initiative and visited Hazel’s school to present her with an award at the assembly.
Hazel expressed her inspiration, saying: “I called it Crop Cop because my Dad grew up on a farm and I wanted a name that sounded fun and fitted a tractor."
Since its debut at the Devon County Show in May, the police-liveried tractor has captured attention and sparked conversations among local farmers.
PC Clarke Orchard remarked on the enthusiastic response, stating: “The Crop Cop will be joining us throughout the summer to help us interact with members of the public and enable us to have important and meaningful conversations about how we can work with our communities to tackle rural crime.”
Dominic Burt, General Manager at Masons Kings, shared his pride in the collaboration, saying, "The aim of our partnership with Devon & Cornwall Police was to support and stand in solidarity with our farming communities in the fight against rural crime. We are very proud of the response and the efforts of Devon & Cornwall Police on this campaign."
The next chance to see 'The Crop Cop' is at the Yealmpton Show on 29th July.
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