Cumbria’s rural crime team recovered £820k worth of stolen property in one year
10th October 2024
Officers from Cumbria’s dedicated rural crime team have recovered stolen property worth £820,000, cut quad bike thefts and made dozens of arrests in one year since the squad was launched.
What is more, the policing team, which was created last autumn, seized 17 vehicles, searched 34 properties and executed 10 warrants in its aim to tackle crimes affecting rural areas.
Their work also included engaging with the rural communities and visiting over 200 victims of rural crime.
In the last few weeks, the rural crime team has been celebrating their one-year anniversary, continuing to show their contempt for criminality by supporting national operations in the bid to disrupt criminals targeting Cumbria.
READ MORE: Police issue warning following rural burglaries and farm thefts
READ MORE: Crimestoppers launched first ever cross-border rural crime campaign
Successful in targeting rural crime
Sergeant Amanda McKirdy from the rural crime team said: “We celebrated our one year as a team, continuing our aims of disrupting criminality and engaging with our rural communities.
“We attended the Westmorland Show then supported both regional and national weeks of action, Operation Checkpoint and Alliance aimed at disrupting rural and vehicle crime.
“We arrested several males, recovered stolen property and uplifted vehicles for use in crime, searched dwellings and other premises at various locations in Durham and secured bail conditions.”
Chief inspector Natalie Jukes, the forces rural crime lead, added that the introduction of the dedicated rural crime team that has been supporting the wider constabulary in targeting rural crime turned out to be a success in the reduction in reports and property recovered.
“The team have worked hard over the last year to reach out to our rural communities, conducing visits and giving rural crime prevention advice. This has given us a wider understanding of the issues they are facing and how we can deter and target criminals.
“Rural crime is not victimless, the theft of machinery, fuel and other rural and wildlife offences have a negative impact on our communities financially and emotionally.
“We continue to ask our communities to work with us by being vigilant, reporting crimes and any suspicious activity.
“Continuing to report this information helps build a picture of the issue and direct our resources to that area and make it a hostile environment for criminals,” chief inspector Jukes added.
Farms targeted by thieves
NFU Mutual has recently warned farmers to be vigilant and increase security this autumn as quad bikes and ATVs continue to be targeted by thieves.
Intelligence shows that the East and South East of England in particular saw spikes in ATVs being stolen last month, but there are concerns thieves may travel the length and breadth of the country to scope out and steal these valuable and highly-desired vehicles.
In 2023, quad bike and ATV theft reported to NFU Mutual cost an estimated £3.2m, up 9% compared to the previous year, and NFU Mutual and the NRCU are concerned a recent spike in thefts could affect farmers this autumn.
READ MORE: Cost of rural crime in the UK exceeded estimated £50m
Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist, said: “The very nature of farmland makes these vehicles essential to farmers’ ability to get around their fields and effectively complete work, making a theft highly disruptive.
“Being from a family farm, I know the toll rural crime has on those who live and work in the countryside. It’s not just the unnerving feeling that criminals have staked out and targeted the farmyard, often where the family home is too, but the worry that the thieves will return in the weeks that follow.
“In fact, we’ve seen several incidents where criminals have revisited rural locations previously targeted to steal the replacement ATV or quad bikes, which is extremely concerning.
“To help prevent quad bike and ATV thefts, it is vital farmers remove keys when not in use and store the vehicle securely out of sight. Mechanical devices, such as steering brake/lock or wheel clamp can act as visible and physical deterrents to thieves.
“Tracking devices and immobilisers are often GPS enabled with alarms and alerts that will can send messages informing you if your vehicle is being tampered with, so consider installing these. Such technology can also assist the police in helping recover stolen vehicles.”
Read more rural crime news.
