National Rural Crime Action Week takes place from 6–11 September, putting the voices and experiences of rural crime victims at the heart of the national conversation.
Organised by the National Rural Crime Network, this year's Action Week will focus on one important question - how do we ensure that rural policing remains at the heart of the government's police reform agenda?
For rural communities, effective policing matters. From theft and fly-tipping to livestock worrying and criminal damage, crime can have a significant impact on people's livelihoods and their confidence in their communities.
But if the government is to understand properly the challenges facing rural areas, it needs to hear directly from the people experiencing them. That's why we want as many people as possible to get involved during Rural Crime Action Week by taking action:
Report rural crime
If you have experienced or witnessed rural crime, report it via the Countryside Alliance's interactive rural crime map.
The map helps us build a clearer picture of the crimes affecting rural communities across the country and provides valuable evidence for our campaigning.
The map is not a substitute for reporting a crime to the police. If you are witnessing a crime in progress or there is an immediate danger always contact the police directly on 999.
Ask your MP to support rural policing
We are also asking MPs to join us in Parliament during Rural Crime Action Week.
The Countryside Alliance and National Rural Crime Network will host a parliamentary drop-in on Tuesday 8 September. Kindly sponsored by Greg Smith MP, the event will bring MPs together with representatives from policing, rural organisations and communities affected by rural crime.
It will be an opportunity for MPs to hear first-hand about the challenges of policing the countryside and to discuss why rural policing must remain part of the government's police reform agenda. Please contact your MP and encourage them to attend.
Help us keep rural crime on the agenda
The most persuasive evidence comes from rural communities themselves. During Rural Crime Action Week, share your experiences and help us demonstrate the reality of crime in the countryside.
Share our rural crime content on social media, encourage friends and neighbours to report incidents to the map, and tell your MP why effective rural policing matters to your community.
Rural Crime Action Week is an opportunity to shine a light on the issue, but our work will continue long after 11 September where we will gather evidence, highlight the experiences of rural communities and press the government, Police and Crime Commissions and police chiefs to recognise the particular challenges of keeping the countryside safe.
Rural crime is not a rural problem to be dealt with in isolation. It is a national issue and rural communities deserve to feel as safe and protected as everyone else.
This Rural Crime Action Week, let's make sure our voice heard.