Initiatives to tackle rural and agricultural crime

Suffolk Constabulary is building stronger links with the farming community to reduce rural and agricultural crime.

Over the next three months, officers from the Babergh district safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) will be handing out information packs as part of the forces farmers fighting crime initiative.

The packs will contain a farm survey, information on Police Direct Farmwatch and Horsewatch, information on SNTs, a neighbourhood watch reporting form, a leaflet on safe storage of fertiliser, a tracker brochure and SmartWater newsletter.

The campaign has been funded by Suffolk Police Authority from its Partnership Fund budget. SNT officers devise projects to respond to local issues or are approached by partners or local residents with ideas to help tackle issues identified as priorities for their area and the officers can then apply to the police authority for funding.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) and Insurer NFU Mutual are also supporting the farmers fighting crime campaign. The Lavenham and Ipswich offices have teamed up to support the campaign and will sponsor some of the costs involved in taking the initiative further.