Organisations unite to tackle rural crime
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden reaffirmed his commitment to protecting rural communities at a Farm Safety Event hosted by the National Farmers’ Union recently.
Commissioner Godden was joined by 200 farmers as well as Nottinghamshire Police officers and other partners including the NFU and National Rural Crime Unit for a dedicated Rural Crime discussion at Newark Showground.
A panel of key stakeholders was formed as part of the event focused on current crime trends, policing priorities, and how farmers can directly influence local policing decisions.
During the session, PCC Godden outlined the changing rural crime picture in Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Police’s rural crime offer is delivered through an intelligence-led approach and dedicated specialist resources.
This includes a rural cohort of 25 specialist officers, 12 PCSOs, and 29 wildlife-trained officers, supported by a dedicated Rural and Wildlife Crime Partnerships Manager.
Enhanced training within the force’s Contact Management department is also improving how rural crime reports are handled at first contact.
Rural Watch, a volunteer-led initiatives developed jointly by the OPCC and Nottinghamshire Police, was launched in March 2025.
The scheme aims to deter crime through visible patrols, improved reporting, crime prevention activity, and stronger engagement with rural communities.
PCC Godden emphasised the importance of consistent and timely reporting by farmers and rural residents.
He said: “It’s been great to see so many farmers at the event, with around 200 of them talking about issues they face and discussing challenges.
“Events like this are key in terms of establishing how we can work together to make rural policing more effective for them, and more results driven for us.
“The message from me to all the farmers in attendance and across Nottinghamshire, is report, report, report.”
Juliet Marshall, Nottinghamshire Police’s Rural and Wildlife Crime Partnerships Manager, said: “In Nottinghamshire we’re slightly different to other forces, we have neighbourhood officers who have wildlife crime training and rural beat areas to look after.
“January tends to be a quitter time for farmers so it’s a good opportunity to get as many of them together to discuss best practice for keeping themselves safe.
“It’s really valuable to speak to the farmers and local landowners about how we can help, but also how they can protect themselves using trail cameras, signage and things to deter crime.”