There are just a few days left for rural communities across Warwickshire to have their say on crime and policing where they live as part of a national survey.
The National Rural Crime Survey comes to an end on 10 June and is asking key questions to ensure the voice of the countryside is heard.
The survey, backed by Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe, wants to know the true picture of crime and anti-social behaviour in rural communities across Warwickshire – and the impact it has where you live or work.
Do you think rural crime has gone up or down in Warwickshire? Do you feel safer? What’s your view of the police in your community?
The survey is being carried out by the National Rural Crime Network. The organisation brings together Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces and organisations that play a key role in rural communities – like the Country Land and Business Association, the National Farmers Union, Neighbourhood Watch, Crimestoppers, Historic England and the Countryside Alliance.
Questions cover a range of issues – from whether you report crimes that you or your business suffer, to the impact crime and anti-social behaviour has on you and your area, and whether you believe enough is done to catch those who carry out the offences.
It’s all about making sure the voice of rural communities is heard by those who can make a difference to where we live and work – from the police to the government.
The survey is available at www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net and is open for submissions until Sunday, 10 June.
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “Warwickshire is a predominantly rural county and ensuring the police and other agencies work effectively together to tackle rural crime has been one of my key priorities. There was a good response the last time the survey was carried out and I’m keen to encourage local people to take part and give their views on what has changed since 2015, what has improved and what the key challenges are that still remain.
“I hope people will take a few minutes to complete our survey as it help us to understand what more government, police forces and other organisations can do to support our rural areas.”
After the 2015 report, police forces across England and Wales made efforts to improve the way they dealt with crime that took place in rural areas. A mix of measures were adopted, including from 13 forces who now have dedicated rural crime teams, six forces who have a dedicated rural officer and two forces who introduced cross-force collaboration. The 2018 Survey will assess the impact these have had in an attempt to further showcase and roll-out best practice.
The results will also feed into the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Rural Affairs National Strategy for 2018-2021 which is due to be launched later this year.
