Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones says she’s delighted to announce a number of successful funding applications that will target rural crime across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Funding totalling nearly £84,000 is being awarded to 10 applications who applied in the 1st round of the Commissioner’s Emerging Needs Fund.
Successful applications include re-deployable Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to target rural crime hotspots, thermal imaging equipment for Police Dog Units, a recruitment drive for more volunteers to join Mounted Rural Patrol, improved rural lighting for Elvetham Heath Parish Council, replacement ANPR cameras in Beaulieu and security camera equipment for Northwood Parish Council here on the Isle of Wight.
PCC Donna Jones has said:
“I’m really pleased to be supporting a range of services that will help make rural communities safer and complement the existing initiatives and providers who are already tirelessly working to combat crime in the large rural areas that we have here in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“Efficient policing and crime detection present their own challenges as 85% of the two counties is rural, countryside communities are more frequently becoming victims of serious and organised crime, and rural crime can often go unreported.
“Tackling rural crime will always be a key priority for me as your Police Commissioner, and these successful funding projects will add to the fight to counteract against these countryside criminals who are intent on destroying livelihoods.”
Inspector Cath MacDonald, lead for the Country Watch team, adds:
“We’re really pleased that this funding bolsters our capabilities so we can continue to deliver on our commitments to rural communities.
“The ANPR cameras will be deployed to hotspot areas identified by intelligence analysis and local officer knowledge, and as the intelligence picture changes we can re-deploy the cameras to new hotspot areas quickly and efficiently.
“Deployment of these cameras is a clear priority for people, as this was something highlighted by our communities as a necessity in our recent Rural Crime Survey.”
“We also couldn’t be happier with the funding being provided for the Mounted Rural Volunteers scheme as they provide an excellent service to the Constabulary, patrolling on horseback in areas that are otherwise difficult to access, and they feed crucial information and intelligence back to officers relating to rural crime and suspicious people or vehicles.”
Rural crime is under the spotlight nationally as new figures released just at the end of last month reveal that organised crime gangs are costing farmers £50million a year. NFU Mutual also states that quad bike and ATV thefts, as well as livestock theft, are soaring as offenders use drones or social media to their advantage.
Communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight gave their views in a Rural Crime Survey earlier this year and a new Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy has also been launched by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary which details the priorities for efficient rural policing. The Rural Crime Guide, which gives detailed advice and support, can also be downloaded at Hampshire Police & Crime Commissioner – Rural Crime Guide.
All the island gets out of this is cctv in Northwood as the Parish Council applied for it.? Is that it.?
I bet Freshwater Parish Council are kicking themselves in the balls after recently spending three thousand of local taxpayers money on cctv.!
Donna Jones is doing a great job with her successful funding applications for various projects. I have noticed in Ryde that the police are more visible. Although we’re not there yet but nonetheless she is making a difference. Let the knuckle draggers commence their abuse in the comments as per usual on this rag.
Same old same old .. from Me Me Me PCC, recruit more volunteers to combat crime .. brilliant that will do it … !! Truly Dickensian style leader .. why not have a volunteer be the PCC and use the salary to do something for islanders, this waste of has to go .. and as if pop up Bob wasn’t bad enough ..
I have a better idea, put more police on the streets and get the numbers back up to where they were before the Tories got in and started cutting services so they can give our tax money to their mates.
It is likely that IF we stemmed the reverse flow of Dunkirkesqe daily flotilla, then Police funding would be more balanced as in areas of high concentrations of such, the Policing costs are astronomical leaving less in the pot for other areas.
How about clearing Roads of vehicles that have No MOT
Start by removing the van that’s been parked along Great Preston Road
for nearly 6 months with NO MOT.