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On April 27, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin supported the launch of the Wales Wildlife & Rural Crime Strategy 2023-2025, a strategy jointly-produced by Wales’ four police forces and Welsh Government, at the Wales Wildlife & Rural Crime Conference at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.
The strategy focuses on crime affecting the agricultural community such as theft, livestock attacks by dogs, arson and burglary and outlines priority areas for rural policing officers for the next 24 months. The strategy pays a significant emphasis on strengthening the partnership working between police forces and other organisations in the fight against rural crime.
The conference provided context to the strategy, communicated key messages and explored the targeted collaborative objectives for police forces, the government and farming unions to deliver the strategy.
The strategy has identified key areas of crime to be concentrated on: bird crime; farm crime; habitats; mammals and European protected species; Welsh police rural supervisors; and mental health and domestic abuse.
Attendees at the conference heard from police forces in Wales on their current efforts to prevent rural wildlife crime. The North Wales Police and Crime Plan includes tackling and preventing rural crime as a priority area and Andy Dunbobbin has recently visited many rural communities to listen to residents’ views and has also started regular face-to-face meetings with representatives of the NFU and FUW so that they can share their concerns.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: "I am pleased to see the launch of the Welsh Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy - something I support wholeheartedly. North Wales Police was a pioneer in this area and was the first Force to create a Rural Crime Unit some ten years ago.
Today, as Police and Crime Commissioner, the crucial issue of crime in rural communities continues to form a core part of my plan to reduce crime in the region. The strategy launched today recognises that rural crime not only encompasses thefts of machinery from farms, livestock taking and crimes against wildlife, but also includes incidents of domestic abuse and fraud, which can affect rural areas as much as any other community.
All these issues are crimes that it is important to confront, and I look forward to working with colleagues from North Wales Police, the other Welsh Forces, Welsh Government, farming unions and rural communities to put this new strategy into practise."
Learn more about the strategy here: First Wales Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy to be launched | GOV.WALES