(Graham chairs meeting on rural crime in Parliament)
Graham Stuart, Member of Parliament for Beverley and Holderness and Chairman of the All-Party Parliament Group on Rural Services, chaired a meeting in Parliament this week on rural crime. Also in attendance were Lord Harris of Haringey (the Chairman of the APPG on Policing), Julia Mulligan (National Rural Crime Network Chairman and Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire), and Simon Prince (Chief Constable for Dyfed-Powys and National Policing lead for Rural and Wildlife Crime).
The focus on the meeting was the recently published National Rural Crime Network report, ‘The true cost of crime in rural areas’, which suggested that rural crime could cost more than £800 million every year, the equivalent of £200 for every rural household.
The survey also indicates that farmers and young families are the most common victims of crime. The average cost of these crimes is over £2,500 for a household and over £4,000 for a business. The report also found a vicious circle of low expectations, leading to chronic under-reporting, anger, frustration and worry.
As a consequence of these findings, the NRCN is making seven recommendations including fair funding for rural areas; more joined up working with partners and communities, building on rural resilience; embedding best practice; developing new policies and ways of working; and ensuring a more targeted approach within rural communities.
Graham said: “This report on rural crime shows why Matthew Grove, the excellent Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, has been completely right to make rural crime a priority and tackle the bias towards urban areas. It also shows the importance of having a directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner, who is accountable to local people and their policing needs.
“In July, I held a street surgery in Withernsea with Matthew Grove to discuss with local residents their concerns about neighbourhood policing in remote rural areas. I am particularly grateful to Matthew that he has maintained levels of neighbourhood policing in our rural areas, even at a time when he has had to find savings in the overall budget.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the National Rural Crime Network for producing such a detailed and important report. I am glad to see that rural crime is getting the attention that it deserves. Many people assume that, because of the natural beauty of our countryside, there is little or no crime. We now know that the reality is very different.
“As Chairman of the Rural Fair Share Campaign, I know that too often rural areas get a raw deal from national funding formulas. As this report shows, policing is no exception. Rural and urban policing should be given equal funding and importance.”
