Rural Crime Roadshow Hailed A Success

The first Lancashire Police rural crime roadshow which visited villages, key rural towns and farming communities has been hailed a success.

The South Rural Taskforce visited villages and key rural areas across Preston, Chorley, South Ribble, Ormskirk and Skelmersdale, inviting farming and rural communities to meet the team, have their farming equipment marked and share general rural crime prevention advice about keeping themselves and their property safe.

The main focus of the rural roadshow was to property mark rural equipment to make it easier to trace should they be stolen. Over the week more than 100 pieces of equipment were marked including GPS units, quadbikes, trailers, chainsaws and tractors, valuing almost £800,000.

Rural Taskforce officer PC Helen Williams said: “As a team we have thoroughly enjoyed hosting the roadshow within the farming communities in our area. We have found it a really positive way of engaging with our rural residents, offering crime prevention advice and security marking valuable pieces of essential equipment.

“Speaking to farmers, hearing their concerns and sharing our contact details so that they can get in touch directly, has provided reassurance to the community that the taskforce is listening to them and working hard to prevent crime in this area. Rural crime can be devasting to farmers and residents alike as it has a big impact on their livelihoods and jobs, therefore we are committed to tackling rural crime and keeping the people of Lancashire safe.”

The Rural Taskforce was set up in March 2021 with an additional 20 officers dedicated to rural communities across Lancashire. The officers are intended to provide extra resources to target, disrupt and address crime in rural communities.

Anyone with rural issues can email the taskforce directly on [email protected]

The local community can provide feedback about the issues that matter most to them by completing the survey at stayintheknow.co.uk/lancashiretalking.