Humberside Police Demonstrate Rural Action To Local MP and Shadow Minister

The force had a visit from Robbie Moore MP, the Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, accompanied by Charlie Dewhirst MP for Bridlington and the Wolds.

Humberside Police say their Rural Task Force is one of the dedicated units who sit at the heart of their Neighbourhood Policing Teams, and the team cover the vast 1300 square miles of rural communities in the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

Rural crime causes distress as well as financial losses for farmers and landowners and threatens their livelihoods at a time when those living and working in the countryside are already facing many other challenges.

From the theft of vehicles, machinery, livestock, fuel, tools and equipment, through to arson of straw stacks, or wildlife crime and illegal poaching activity, there are a wide range of issues which impact the rural communities that run thousands of square miles across the force footprint.

The officers working within the Rural Task Force tackle crime in some of the most remote and often overlooked areas, and the impact of rural crime cannot be underestimated.

Not only this, but wildlife and protected animals like hares, birds of prey, and endangered species cannot speak for themselves, and it is the specialist job of the Rural Task Force officers to protect them.

The team deal with a wide range of offences including hare coursing, night poaching, badger baiting, nesting bird disturbances, agricultural thefts, and illegal metal detecting, as some examples.

Partnership working is key to what they do, and they work closely with organisations such as the National Wildlife Crime Unit, the National Rural Crime Unit, relevant border agencies, local farm watches, and animal welfare organisations. Working collaboratively, they can provide the investigation teams with witness statements, local knowledge and expertise, and help the task force build trust and rapport within the rural communities.

Officers say a big part of the team’s success has come from working closely with these partners who can act as the eyes and ears of the police in their challenge to cover the 1300 square miles of the East Riding and North Lincolnshire.

Rural Crime Officers visit farms and rural businesses on a regular basis to engage with farmers, landowners and businesses, as well as undertake forensic property marking of vehicles, machinery and equipment; all of which, they say, is helping to make the area a less attractive prospect for thieves.

Since the team’s establishment in 2021, they have marked up around £10 million of items and these crime prevention visits help people to better protect themselves from becoming a victim of crime in the first place.

As a result of this proactive work, rural crime statistics across the area have seen considerable reductions in incidents reported over the last 12-18 months, and so it’s no surprise these successes have attracted the attention of MPs in the area.

Last Tuesday, the Rural Task Force received a visit from Robbie Moore MP, the Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs accompanied by Charlie Dewhirst MP for Bridlington and the Wolds.

They were keen to learn what the team were doing to tackle rural crime and building confidence amongst the rural community.

Their visit offered an opportunity to highlight the proactive work undertaken by the team and they were praised on their high visibility especially in terms of their physical presence in the more remote parts of the force area.

They commented on the fact that rural crime is clearly a priority for Humberside Police, and the success stories shared increase public trust and confidence in policing.

Also present on the visit was Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Cllr Leo Hammond, Chair of ValeWatch David Horsley, and Wildlife Partnership Manager at the RSPCA Geoff Edmond.