PCC's approach to rural crime
Priority:
This approach supports the Police and Crime Commissioner’s and Chief Constable’s shared vision for ‘Safe, Resilient and Connected Communities’, connecting communities and policing together, in order to deliver our local policing promise to ensure that policing is Accessible, Responsive, Informative and Supportive.
What we said:
Devon and Cornwall is the largest police force in England and the vast majority of the area is classed as rural. This presents challenges to the delivery of some policing services and sometimes requires different approaches to be taken than in urban areas. The PCC hears regularly from residents living in rural and remote areas of their concerns that policing sometimes appears too remote and not addressing the needs of rural communities.
What we did:
In close consultation with the community and the Chief Constable, the PCC enabled an increased investment in police officers. This enabled the appointment of two new Rural Affairs Police Officers, one for Devon inc Torbay and Plymouth and one for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. For the first time, Devon and Cornwall Police has a dedicated police resource to engage with the rural communities, to provide specialist advice and link in to national rural affairs strategies developed by the National Police Chiefs Council.
The two Rural Affairs Officers are supported by a Specialist Problem Solver and work closely alongside the Rural Special Constables on key priorities such as road safety on moorland roads.
Achieved outcomes:
The OPCC has been working closely alongside the new Rural Affairs Officers by supporting their engagement with rural communities – often attending events together and providing the use of the OPCC engagement team vehicle.
The PCC has provided grants to the three rural crime prevention groups established in Devon and Cornwall. Exmoor Rural Crime Partnership, its equivalent on Dartmoor and the Bodmin and east Cornwall rural partnership have each been granted small grants to support their work supporting rural based businesses to prevent crime.
Next steps:
The PCC will continue to work with and support the Rural Affairs Officers and monitor how the role develops and review the feedback received from the rural communities.
Key documents:
The PCC will continue to work with and support the Rural Affairs Officers and monitor how the role develops and review the feedback received from the rural communities.