Commissioner Calls for Urgent Action as Data Gaps Leave Rutland’s Countryside Underfunded
Lack of Clear Crime Data Means Rural Communities Could Miss Out on Essential Support and Funding
Rutland’s Police and Crime Commissioner is calling for urgent changes to help countryside communities, warning that a lack of clear data means rural areas are missing out on vital funding.
The county’s specialist Rural Policing Team has recovered over three million pounds since its launch, and new figures show rural and wildlife crime across Leicestershire and Rutland dropped by nineteen percent from January to September this year compared to last.
But Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews says without a searchable category for rural crime in official databases, it’s tough to make the case for extra resources:
“There is no data that we can go to the Home Office and say, look, here's a problem. Here's our plan to deal with it. Please give us the funding for the plan because the data's not there.”
Having a team of specialist officers dealing with a specialist problem has been a lot more effective
Matthews says having a dedicated team has made a real impact:
“Having a team of specialist officers dealing with a specialist problem has been a lot more effective at getting on top of this issue. And it's not just that they're more effective at recovering stolen goods, but also that is driving crime down.”
“We would be able to target effort absolutely where it's needed. So if there's a geographical region or if there's a particular type of rural crime which is increasing, we can spot that in the data and then allocate officers and other resources from within Leicestershire police.”
Matthews added rural crime can hit small villages much harder than city areas:
“Even something which at first glance might seem not very serious in a small community can have a really negative impact. Rural crime has far worse impact on a small rural village than the same crime does in the middle of Leicester.”
Now, he’s urging the Government to formally define rural crime and update funding rules, saying more specialist support could make all the difference for countryside communities.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“We’re taking strong action on rural crime. This financial year we have provided over £800,000 to support the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.
“We have also worked closely with the NPCC to deliver their updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy which puts the weight of government behind tackling rural crimes such as the theft of high value farm equipment and livestock, in addition to the funding provided.”