New campaign launched to tackle rural crime in Cumbria
Date of alert:
Saturday 5 March 2022
Crime Ref:
Force:
Cumbria Constabulary
An appeal has been launched for anonymous information on rural crime in Cumbria by charity Crimestoppers.
The group is encouraging people to play their part in stopping rural crime.It has said that rural crime is "repetitive and organised" and wants visitors to report what they see and hear.
In the year to April 2021, Crimestoppers - a group set up in 1988 which receives anonymous reports of crime - received nearly 2,700 national anonymous reports about rural crime. This is a 14 per cent increase on the year before but the charity has said it also suggests there is some under-reporting.
Insurer NFU Mutual has recently estimated that rural theft cost the UK £43.3m in 2020 and the North West region £3.7m.
The key themes of this campaign will focus on wildlife crime, environmental crime and theft. Initially, it will explore hare coursing, poaching and badger baiting, with advice on how to spot the signs.
The charity has also committed to sharing prevention advice and hearing from organisations who work with the police and other partners to prevent and solve these crimes.
