Question - rural organisations

[Ranger Security Solutions]

Forgetting about the police for now; I was just curious, as customers/members, do you feel that you get much support regarding rural crime from the different organisations that are supposed to, or claim to, represent your interests?

Such as the NFU (including NFU Scotland, Wales, etc), NFU Mutual, Countryside Alliance, the Countryside Landowners and Business Association, and any other organisations...

I know some are more focused on changing legislations rather providing practical assistance, but I was just curious what your end user experiences were and what your membership bought you in relation to helping with dealing with rural crime?

Do you get any direct security and crime prevention advice, or visits from representatives to offer you tips and advice, or signposted towards potential support?

Or is it all quite generic and you are left to fend for yourselves?

Thanks in advance.

 

[thorpe]

when we had a big theft job here police response was zilch but i did get a phone call offering me counsslling.

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

when we had a big theft job here police response was zilch but i did get a phone call offering me counsslling.

Did you get any support from the NFU, NFU Mutual, CLA, CA, or any other organisation?

 

[thorpe]

Did you get any support from the NFU, NFU Mutual, CLA, CA, or any other organisation?

no! got the £65 grand tractor back ourselves in less than 12 hrs the mutual were good wanted every blemish restored paid out more on a trailer id just done adeal on . but that tractors been a bugger since .

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

no! got the £65 grand tractor back ourselves in less than 12 hrs the mutual were good wanted every blemish restored paid out more on a trailer id just done adeal on . but that tractors been a bugger since .

It is good that you got the tractor back, I wouldn't expect any of these organisations to help you find it after it was stolen (that is supposed to be the police's job).

But I would have hoped that NFU, NFU Mutual, CLA, CA, etc would have given some crime prevention guidance/support to help you stop the theft in the first place - or offered to give advice on stopping it from happening again.

They all claim to be fighting the farmer's and rural communities' corner against rural crime, but I don't see much hard evidence of delivering actual practical assistance. Which is a shame.

 

[steveR]

It is good that you got the tractor back, I wouldn't expect any of these organisations to help you find it after it was stolen (that is supposed to be the police's job).

But I would have hoped that NFU, NFU Mutual, CLA, CA, etc would have given some crime prevention guidance/support to help you stop the theft in the first place - or offered to give advice on stopping it from happening again.

They all claim to be fighting the farmer's and rural communities' corner against rural crime, but I don't see much hard evidence of delivering actual practical assistance. Which is a shame.

This....

 

[thorpe]

This....

we have now spent 10s of thousands of £ to keep our kit behind closed doors under lock and key. a neighbor spent £3000 on security cameras and when he had an incedent the police wouldnt even look at it. i tink we live in bandit country!

 

[Farma Parma]

Local Police were great with an event that took place 10months ago now & even caught the scum but if we had our day in Court they would be back & these are bad people
Think nothing too taking things further.
So how do u win against these types?

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

we have now spent 10s of thousands of £ to keep our kit behind closed doors under lock and key. a neighbor spent £3000 on security cameras and when he had an incedent the police wouldnt even look at it. i tink we live in bandit country!

You shouldn't have felt the need to spend this amount of money for your security, though I am pleased that you have made some investment, as it shows that you take your security seriously, which many do not - until it is too late. Regarding your neighbours £3k camera system, I'm not overly surprised that the police did not look at the footage. I am interested though, how the CCTV performed during the incident; did it inform (send notification, or was it been monitored by) your neighbour that someone was somewhere they shouldn't be? Or was it a case of reviewing the images after they realised that there had been a problem?

For this thread, I am less concerned with the actions of the police, and more focused on the support (or possibly the lack of support), from rural organisations such as the NFU (including NFU Scotland, Wales, etc), NFU Mutual, Countryside Alliance, the Countryside Landowners and Business Association.

Did you (or your neighbour) ever get any support from any of these rural organisations? Did either of you even consider approaching them for assistance?

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

They all claim to be fighting the farmer's and rural communities' corner against rural crime, but I don't see much hard evidence of delivering actual practical assistance. Which is a shame.

This....

I thought as much. I have briefly looked in to these organisations, and I am not overly impressed with that I have discovered so far if I am honest.

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

Local Police were great with an event that took place 10months ago now & even caught the scum but if we had our day in Court they would be back & these are bad people
Think nothing too taking things further.
So how do u win against these types?

Northumbria Police are quite good, and are leading the way across the country in some areas of rural policing. They are very proactive and encourage communities to get involved, particularly providing eyes and ears, which gives mutual benefits. If you can avoid getting to the court stage, then that is obviously preferred - and that can be achieved by improving your all-round security, starting with making your local area difficult for criminals to operate, deterring thieves from targeting your property and looking elsewhere instead, right down to having some simple procedures for anyone who works where you are.

The biggest issue I was recently told by Northumbria Police is poor key discipline, with keys kept in machines that are then stolen by opportunists, simply because the opportunity was there, so a basic procedure by employees on what to do with keys (just one example) could save a world of pain. I could go on, but for this thread, I am more focused on the support (or possibly the lack of support), from rural organisations such as the NFU (including NFU Scotland, Wales, etc), NFU Mutual, Countryside Alliance, the Countryside Landowners and Business Association.

Have you ever asked any of them for advice about your security and crime prevention, and have they delivered good advice specific to you?

 

[Farma Parma]

Northumbria Police are quite good, and are leading the way across the country in some areas of rural policing. They are very proactive and encourage communities to get involved, particularly providing eyes and ears, which gives mutual benefits. If you can avoid getting to the court stage, then that is obviously preferred - and that can be achieved by improving your all-round security, starting with making your local area difficult for criminals to operate, deterring thieves from targeting your property and looking elsewhere instead, right down to having some simple procedures for anyone who works where you are.

The biggest issue I was recently told by Northumbria Police is poor key discipline, with keys kept in machines that are then stolen by opportunists, simply because the opportunity was there, so a basic procedure by employees on what to do with keys (just one example) could save a world of pain. I could go on, but for this thread, I am more focused on the support (or possibly the lack of support), from rural organisations such as the NFU (including NFU Scotland, Wales, etc), NFU Mutual, Countryside Alliance, the Countryside Landowners and Business Association.

Have you ever asked any of them for advice about your security and crime prevention, and have they delivered good advice specific to you?

Its not key disipline its poachers thinking they can just go where they want & damage crops/gates etc etc too get there.
you cant tell these people NO its a word that has no meaning too them.
If you take the law into your own hands your on the wrong side then.
Police can only do what they can do.

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

Its not key disipline its poachers thinking they can just go where they want & damage crops/gates etc etc too get there.
you cant tell these people NO its a word that has no meaning too them.
If you take the law into your own hands your on the wrong side then.
Police can only do what they can do.

It is not just poachers that think they can just go where they want. The same mindset applies to all criminals, rural or urban. You cannot tell any of these people "NO".

You're right, it has no meaning to them - any of them.

The issue that has been highlighted (by Northumbria Police), evidenced by historical and recent criminal acts, are criminals stealing 4x4's, quads and telehandlers - all taken with ease because the keys were either in the machines, or hung up close by. In case of the telehandler, it was then used in an attack upon an ATM machine.

These are avoidable thefts, all because of poor key discipline.

People don't drive in to town, park up their vehicle and go shopping, leaving the keys in the vehicle, and expect the car to be there or the contents not to be stolen, when they come back. We all lock our houses up before going out.

We should be able to leave houses unlocked, keys in vehicles without problems, but unfortunately that is not reality.

Whether it is in town, or in a rural - even isolated - setting, we have to take responsibility for our security.

You're right, the police can only do what they can do. Which is why we need to play our part too, and make sure we take appropriate measures to protect ourselves, each other, and our equipment.

 

[Ranger Security Solutions]

I can only assume (with over 300 views of this thread and only three people replying) that the NFU (including NFU Scotland, Wales, etc), NFU Mutual, Countryside Alliance, the Countryside Landowners, Business Association and other similar organisations either do not provide good support to farmers, businesses and communities in regards to managing rural crime, or that as fee-paying members we are not approaching them for assistance - be it practical advice, or signposting to where help can be gained.

In either case, I find it a little disappointing, as I feel that managing rural crime should be a collective effort, with everyone playing their part and contributing to a solution - and not reliant solely upon an increasingly burdened and decreasingly funded/resourced police forces around the country.

Lobbying for legislation change is very good (when it actually gets heard in Parliament - a recent attempt was deferred just last week) but that does not help those in trouble today. Since all these organisations claim to support the rural crime issue, can I suggest that anyone with any concerns approach your local office for support - and seek some free assistance as a return on your investment/membership fee.