Rural Crime prevention

9th June 2023       

PCC asks farmers to join a  consultation to prevent equipment theft.

Matthew Scott, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, has supported “a call for evidence” to support new legislation to prevent farm equipment theft.

A consultation is taking place to gather evidence during the Parliamentary stages of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill which seeks to make provisions around ATV (all-terrain vehicle) theft .

Mr Scott made the call at a roundtable of farmers from the Maidstone area at a meeting he hosted today with local MPs Helen Whately and Helen Grant, where they discussed rural crime and the police response.

Mr Scott said,

“The theft of equipment in rural areas can be a particularly harmful crime as it has consequences for businesses and the wider rural economy.

“I am pleased our Chief Constable has acted and listened to rural communities and made rural crime a priority within his control strategy. He has also expanded the specialist rural crime Taskforce to provide an even better response to those communities.

“This consultation is an important opportunity to influence plans that will help us tackle these important crime types.”

Yesterday, the PCC asked the Chief Constable about rural crime in his quarterly Performance and Delivery Board meeting.  The Chief Constable, Tim Smith, assured him rural crime had been added to the “control strategy” for Kent Police and more officers had been designated to cover it.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/equipment-theft-prevention-bill-call-for-evidence/equipment-theft-prevention-bill-call-for-evidence-accessible-version

More information about the Bill: 

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/lln-2023-0025/

Watch the Chief Constable discuss rural crime with Matthew Scott at the Performance and Delivery Board.

Chief Constable says Rural Crime is now a priority - YouTube