Good news as cost of rural crime in Essex falls by 40 per cent
The cost of rural crime in Essex has fallen by nearly 40 per cent, according to figures released today by the NFU Mutual.
However, there is still more to be done as Essex is ranked as the third worst county in the UK when it comes to counting the cost.
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “The impact of rural crime on our communities is huge. In Essex, 72 per cent of our county is classified as rural and although the fact the fall in cost has fallen by 39.7 per cent from £2,738.873 in 2019 to £1,650,999 in 2020, there is clearly a lot more to be done. This is a huge amount of money and devastating for the individuals, businesses and communities who have suffered losses, massively impacting on their livelihoods.
“We have invested in local, visible, accessible policing in Essex with an increase in officers to the dedicated Rural Engagement Team. Those officers have also been boosted by Special Constables being attached to the team. These officers are undoubtedly having an impact and are achieving great things in terms of engaging with our rural communities and businesses, offering crime prevention advice and support, and proactively tackling problem areas such as fly tipping, hare coursing and heavy plant theft.
“We will continue to focus our efforts and investment in this area, protecting rural and isolated communities will remain a key priority for us in our revised Police and Crime Plan.”
You can read the full report below.
