Recorded rural offending across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has increased by almost 10%, including an over 100% spike in wildlife crime.
These are among the findings of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Donna Jones’s 2026 draft Annual Report.
The report says that between June 2025 and March 2026, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Rural Crime Task Force recovered over £500,000 worth of stolen or crime-related property.
The PCC launched the Rural Crime Task Force in June 2025 to provide a coordinated, intelligence-led response to serious and organised rual criminality.
Working alongside neighbourhood policing teams, the force has focused on identifying high-harm offenders, targeting crime hotspots and linking rural crime to wider organised criminal networks.
The report refers to an increase in recorded rural crime of 8.61 per cent which it says reflects improved reporting and intelligence gathering across rural areas.
Key 2025/26 trends include increases in wildlife crime (122.73 per cent), poaching (10.62 per cent) and metal theft (8.24 per cent).
Wildlife crime is any activity which goes against legislation protecting the UK’s wild animals and plants, according to the constabulary.
It can cause pain and suffering to animals, push species closer to extinction and can be connected to other serious crimes such as firearms offences and organised crime.
Examples include poaching, coursing, animal cruelty, hunting with dogs and offences against birds, badgers and bats.
The report also shows reductions in criminal damage (65.22%), farm machinery theft (21.97%) and equine offences (26.32%).
It notes enforcement outcomes have ‘improved significantly’, with formal action taken outcomes increasing by 41.07% in 2025/26, compared to the previous year.
