The Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, has reiterated her promise to clamp down on organised crime gangs operating across rural communities in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight.
The pledge comes during National Rural Crime Action Week. The campaign running from 21st-25th October 2024 highlights the importance of local authorities, the police and rural communities to work in partnership to combat rural crime.
Donna Jones has said:
“There is an immediate and growing threat from organised crime gangs. These groups are not opportunistic thieves. They perform meticulous supply and demand operations, stealing items to order such as quad bikes or plant machinery and shipping them overseas. These criminals are serious, organised, and international.”
Black market gambling, hare coursing, poaching, fly-tipping, and the theft of livestock and agricultural machinery are also having a devastating impact on farmers and landowners. According to the National Farmers’ Union, rural crime cost the UK £52.8million in 2023 up 4.3% on the previous year. It includes a rapid 137% rise in GPS thefts.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s commitment to tackling rural crime includes a £1million investment in boosting intelligence capability, area cars in rural areas, and named Local Bobbies for every rural community.
PCC Jones adds:
“I’ve also invested in the most effective technology available to police forces across England and Wales with cutting-edge drones to track offenders, and mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that the police can move around in rural areas.
Article continues below this advertisement “This means Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary can provide an agile and robust response covering thousands of square miles and can monitor cross border activity to stay one step ahead of the gangs.”
How are you going to do that then? The Island has got no police. First thing to get sorted is the pop/banging boy racers in the noisey cars along Ryde Esplanade. Do spot checks for insurance cover, these vehicles have been modernised to make this noise. check if their insurance companies have been notified of these modernisations, if not, they are driving without insurance. Seize the car and scrap it. You would do it to me quick enough if it was my van making a noise through the exhaust
It would be nice if the island would tackle
Speeding on the island.
It would be great to see Local Bobby’s walking the
Beat like they did in the old days.
Islandwide CCTV and Speed Camera’s would be
good for the island.
The Rollout of the Gigabit makes this possible.
I see that someone is still “Eating all the pies”.