The Countryside Alliance says rural crime is outpacing policing, with rising thefts and the government’s failure to enforce the Equipment Theft Act leaving communities vulnerable.
The Countryside Alliance recognises the importance of the NPCC’s new Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy and welcomes its commitment to tackling the serious, organised criminality that continues to harm rural communities. The focus on machinery theft, livestock offences, acquisitive rural crime, and hare poaching reflects the reality of the challenges faced by farmers, land managers, and rural businesses every day. We particularly welcome the focus on cross-force and multi-agency collaboration, which is essential for tackling rural crime networks effectively.
However, the scale of the challenge is still not being matched with the resources required to tackle it. Recent figures show that machinery theft and livestock offences continue to rise, with organised gangs exploiting gaps in rural policing. The government’s recent funding for the National Rural Crime Unit is welcome, but the unit has only a handful of officers to cover the entire country. Communities are also being let down by the failure to fully enforce the Equipment Theft Act, leaving stolen agricultural machinery and plant equipment vulnerable to repeat offences. For communities dealing with organised criminal networks, cross-border theft, and rising levels of rural violence, that simply isn’t enough.
Sarah Lee, Director of Policy at the Countryside Alliance said:
“The Countryside Alliance recognises the importance of the NPCC’s new Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy and its focus on serious, organised crime in rural communities. But rising machinery and livestock thefts, combined with the government’s failure to fully enforce the Equipment Theft Act, show that the scale of the challenge is still not being met. Rural areas need proper staffing, specialist officers, and long-term investment in policing because without it, criminals will continue to see the countryside as an easy target. Tackling rural crime must be treated as a genuine national priority, with the resources to make a real difference.”
Rural crime is often highly organised, fast-moving, and technically sophisticated, and it requires specialist policing capacity to match it. The Countryside Alliance has long argued that rural areas deserve the same level of protection as towns and cities. Without proper staffing, investment in intelligence, and strengthened local capacity within police forces, criminals will continue to view the countryside as an easy target. If this strategy is to achieve its aims, it must be backed by sustained funding, increased specialist officers, and a long-term commitment to neighbourhood policing in rural areas.
We support the strategy’s ambition to improve coordination between forces, strengthen intelligence-led enforcement, and raise awareness of rural crime. These are important steps. But they must be accompanied by the people and skills needed to deliver results on the ground. Rural communities want to see action, and we urge the government and policing partners to ensure that tackling rural crime is treated as a genuine national priority with the resources to make a real difference.