Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe with officers from the Rural Crime Team and Safer Neighbourhood Teams at the Atherstone meeting
The fifth annual Warwickshire Police engagement evening held to specifically support farmers, horse owners and rural businesses in North Warwickshire has been held in Atherstone.
As well as Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Seccombe, representatives from the newly formed Warwickshire Police Rural Crime Team also attended with the new Inspector for the area Allison Wiggin and officers from the local policing teams.
The evening, held in conjunction with the local NFU, included partners from a number of agencies and organisations to provide information and advice on a number of areas, such as North Warwickshire Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Fire & Rescue, British Horse Society and many more.
Carol Cotterill, Rural Crime Officer from Warwickshire Police, who organised the evening and is funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “It is really important that we hold this event each year. Crime that affects farmers, horse owners and rural businesses can be very different and impact in other ways to that which happens in our villages and towns. Having the opportunity to speak to officers, including the Commissioner, plus other partner agencies and organisations about any issues or concerns that they have such as fly tipping or obtain information on what security measures and equipment is available is key to working together and supporting these communities to help deter rural crime.”
Philip Seccombe, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “These engagement meetings are really important to helping myself and the police to understand the issues that are being experienced in our rural communities and also to help bring together rural farms and businesses together with their local officers.
“Ensuring that we have a strong policing presence in all parts of the county is really important, so the progress that has been made over the past year is very welcome. We now have 1,000 officers across Warwickshire for the first time in over a decade, and this has helped the force to have additional policing patrols across the district and the re-establishment of Coleshill as a base for those patrols.
“It was also feedback from previous meetings that has helped to influence the creation of the new Rural Crime Team, so it was particularly good to be able to have them on hand as they build up their relationships across North Warwickshire.
“Overall, we want to reinforce the message that crime will not be tolerated in our rural areas and work together with local farms and businesses to make them as secure as possible.”
For more information and advice on keeping safe and secure in rural areas, visit the Warwickshire Rural Watch website at: www.warwickshireruralwatch.co.uk.
