Bid to tackle and combat rural crime across Harborough

A high-level get-together is to go ahead in a bid to tackle and combat rural crime across Harborough.

Police officers, Harborough Community Safety Partnership, the fire and rescue service, the Crimestoppers charity and National Farmers Union are uniting to stage the special conference next month.

They are working alongside each other to stage the fourth annual Rural Crime Event at Kilworth Springs Golf Club in North Kilworth, near Lutterworth, from 6.30pm-8.30pm on Monday February 7.

Farmers, landowners and rural business people are all being urged to go along to support the forum.

They will be able to talk to crime reduction agencies and businesses about taking measures to become more secure and beat rural criminals.

Booking is essential and if you would like to attend please email [email protected]

The event is being held as a new police team headed up by a former Harborough-based officer was set up last October to crack down on rural crime in Leicestershire.

Sgt Paul Archer, who used to patrol in and around Market Harborough and Lutterworth, was chosen to lead the new dedicated police unit.

The experienced local officer was drafted in as the force launched a new “rural policing strategy”.

“The strategy outlines the force’s plans over the next four years to support people who live and work in the countryside by responding to their concerns and tackling crime in rural communities,” said police.

The force’s strategic aims include:

· Three additional officers committed to rural policing to support existing resources

· Training for contact centre staff on issues that affect rural communities so they recognise those straight away

· Enhanced training for all neighbourhood officers on rural beats

· An effective response to all calls for service

· Prevention and the detection of rural crime

· Working with partners to deliver effective partnership responses in our rural communities.

The force currently has 18 specially-trained wildlife crime officers, six rural special constables, Heritage Watch volunteers and beat teams based in rural neighbourhoods across the county.

They are now being supported by Sgt Archer’s new unit.

The new squad is focusing purely on agricultural, equine, wildlife and heritage issues as well as providing training and advice to other officers and departments.

To find out more about what the team are doing you can follow them on Twitter @LeicsRuralCrime or Facebook at ‘Leicestershire and Rutland Rural Policing Team’.

You can also sign up to neighbourhood link at www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk to get updates from your beat team.

Please do not report crime through social media but by calling 101 or going to www.leics.police.uk/reportcrime