Share Your Concerns over Rural Crime with the Countryside Alliance

The largest-ever annual survey into crime in rural areas has been launched once again in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to investigate the true level of crime in the countryside. 

The Countryside Alliance rural crime survey is calling for people who work or live in rural areas to come forward and give their views on countryside crimes, the impact they have on the wider community and to help shape the future of crime prevention and rural policing.

Rural communities have always experienced crime but it is often hidden, but when we talk to those who live, run businesses or work in these areas, rural crime consistently emerges as one of their concerns. However, this concern has not always reverberated within the corridors of Whitehall.

Over the years, the annual Rural Crime Survey has revealed that residents and workers in rural communities often feel that the police and other agencies fail to treat rural crime with the seriousness it warrants, despite its increasing national prominence in recent years.

Notwithstanding unflagging efforts of the Countryside Alliance in Westminster, Holyrood, or the Senedd, they implore rural populations and business owners to contribute to their annual Rural Crime Survey. Share your insights into the challenges and predicaments your community faces in terms of crime. By doing so, you fortify our arguments and amplify your voice.

The findings from the 2022 Countryside Alliance Rural Crime Survey built upon those from the previous year, shedding light on the fact 49% did not think the police take rural crime seriously, and 90% had not seen any police officers in their area in the last week.

It is evident from last year’s outcomes that a substantial amount of work remains to be done to tackle rural crime, working hand in hand with communities to mitigate its impact and resolve the crime issues that beset rural areas. As an advocate for rural Britain, the Countryside Alliance will continue to exert pressure on the government, Police and Crime Commissioners, and police forces to review their approach to combating rural crime and its root causes. This underlines the vital importance of your participation in our 2023 annual Rural Crime Survey, which will inform our crime campaigns and ensure that your voice resonates within the corridors of power.

The threat of crime can be as detrimental to people’s feeling of safety as crimes themselves and we also want to build a clear picture of the issue to shape future policing delivery and ensure funding is spent where it is most needed, rather than simply being channelled to urban conurbations. The ultimate aim is to make rural communities safer.

You can take part in the 2023 Rural Crime Survey here