When I took over as Police and Crime Commissioner, Leicestershire and Rutland was lagging behind in the attention paid to rural policing. That has all now changed. We now have:
- A dedicated Rural Policing Unit. The officers in the unit are drawn from farming families, have received specialist training and are equipped with four-wheel drive vans packed with vital rural equipment.
- Specialist training to call handlers. Our dedicated staff who answer 999 or 101 calls are now trained to recognise and understand the importance of rural terms such as fly grazing or hare coursing.
- Rural Crime Reduction Events. I have supported crime prevention advice events which have brought together companies specialising in equipment most use in remote rural locations with the people who live there.
- Crime Prevention Measures. I have ensured that my office budget has funded crime prevention equipment directed specifically at rural crime.
Photo shows: One of the Rural Policing Unit's four-wheel drive vans parked up at the Rutland Show.