Wiltshire Police reveals progress in tackling rural crime
PCC Philip Wilkinson has renewed his calls for stronger punishments for offenders
Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has renewed his calls for tougher penalties for people involved in rural crime as the Force reveals its progress in tackling the issue.
It comes as officers are placing extra emphasis on combating rural offences this week.
“It’s not merely a wildlife crime—it’s organised criminality that threatens the safety, livelihoods and peace of rural communities," PCC Philip Wilkinson said. "Recent violent confrontations and property damage underline how serious this has become. Current penalties—an unlimited fine and up to six months’ imprisonment—are simply not enough.
"I’ve written to the Wiltshire Magistrates’ Bench and backed national efforts to strengthen sentencing guidelines. Victims of rural crime deserve justice that truly reflects the harm inflicted.”
The PCC added that Wiltshire is becoming hostile to rural criminals, but said it's vital we help support police in defending farms, wildlife and rural way of life.
Devizes top location for hare coursers
New figures from the Force have revealed some of the county's hotspots for rural crime.
Hare coursing, which Mr Wilkinson says is a "brutal activity that devastates our countryside", and poaching, are most prevalent in Devizes - with 64 of 177 incidents recorded between September 2024 and February 2025 happening there.
It represents a 22% rise on the same period the year before.
Peak activity is around midnight on Thursdays and Mondays, as well as Saturday afternoons, which suggests offenders are exploiting quieter hours and cross-border routes to avoid detection.
Salisbury and Warminster remain locations where agricultural theft is high, with Neighbourhood Policing Team's in both areas recording 21% of Wiltshire's farm burglaries.
February alone saw 31 reports of theft, compared with seven 12 months earlier.
Farmers are also facing financial and operational hardship, with offenders are continuing to target high value machines, quad bikes and trailers.
To tackle the issue, 22 dedicated rural crime operations have been carried out, including three force-wide “Operation Galileo” deployments targeting hare coursing, and three regional “Operation Ragwort” campaigns that stopped over 100 vehicles in March 2025.
The Armed Response Unit is also regularly called in to pursue hare coursers and disrupt high-risk confrontations.
T/Chief Inspector Andrew Lemon, Tactical Lead for Rural Crime, said: “We’re mobilising neighbourhood officers, drones, CID and armed units to hit offenders at every stage.
“This sends a clear message that rural crime is treated with the seriousness it deserves, and we will not tolerate incursions on our countryside.”
He added: “We need residents to report suspicious activity as soon as they see it, either online, by calling 101, or in an emergency by dialling 999.
“This information helps build intelligence, target offenders and keep our countryside safe.”