Farmers fight crime at Police seminar

Farmers in the St Edmundsbury area of Suffolk met last Friday at a special seminar to discuss tackling rural crime.

The event was part of an ongoing initiative by Suffolk Police to develop a proactive approach to the issue, with local Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) working in partnership with the farming community.

Vapormatic Territory Manager David Rolph (pictured) was on hand to showcase the company's industry leading immobiliser.

"We can't afford to be complacent"

The event was sponsored by Bury St Edmunds National Farmer’s Union (NFU) and featured a number of guest speakers. Police officers and crime reduction officers spoke on subjects including hare coursing and night hawking, combating terrorist-related crime, as well as general crime prevention advice.

Inspector Jane Hertzog said: “Whilst we live in a safe county with relatively low levels of crime, we can’t afford to be complacent.  Rural crime can have a severe commercial impact on a farming operation and more broadly rural businesses, therefore it’s vitally important that we understand how together, we can combat this sort of crime.”

Bernard Plume, crime reduction officer for the St Edmundsbury area, added: “This event was invaluable to developing a strong dialogue between the farming community and Suffolk Police.  A great deal of work has been carried out over the past few months to make this happen, and events such as this not only provide farmers with helpful information and advice, but can also help to develop future policing priorities.”

“The day was a big success, with many farmers commenting on how helpful the advice and demonstrations were.”

Andrew Ward, of Bury St Edmunds NFU said: “We’re pleased to have worked with Suffolk Police on this special seminar.  It is important that we serve our members and do everything possible to make them more aware of what is on the market to help protect their property and their business from crime.”

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