Police training days upskill officers to tackle rural crime

Police officers in Leicestershire have been gaining an insight into rural crime and the latest methods to tackle it during specialist training days.

Leicestershire Police’s Rural Crime Team hosted two rural crime prevention training days to build knowledge and enhance skills for officers who cover rural areas.

The training focused on some of the key issues affecting the rural and farming communities of Leicestershire and Rutland.

At one event, the team of three rural crime officers invited neighbouring force areas and covered topics, including Ifor Williams trailer identification, Cesar Datatag ID security marking technologies, basic livestock handling, farm familiarisation and legislative updates.

Guest speakers included the NFU and a representative from machinery dealer Farol, who discussed the emerging issues around tractor GPS dome and control screen thefts.

Warwickshire farmer James Chapman – who lost his left arm after his jacket was caught in a pto shaft during a farming accident in 2005 – spoke to officers about the work being done by Yellow Wellies/Farm Safety Foundation to improve farming’s poor safety record.

Officers also visited farm equipment supplier RES Tractors, in Melton Mowbray, where they had the opportunity to get hands-on with machinery and identify the use of individual bits of kit.