Crackdown on Rural Crime Gangs Steps Up During National Action Week

A major crackdown on rural crime gangs is underway this week as National Rural Crime Action Week (8–12 September) begins, aiming to highlight the serious impact of rural crime and the collaborative efforts being taken to tackle it.

Police forces, local authorities, and rural communities are joining forces to confront organised criminal gangs that have increasingly targeted the countryside. The campaign has the full backing of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Donna Jones, who has made tackling rural crime one of her top priorities.

“These criminal gangs pose an immediate and growing threat,” said PCC Jones. “They subject farmers and landowners to unacceptable levels of violence and intimidation. The gangs perform meticulous supply and demand operations; stealing items like quad bikes or plant machinery to order and shipping them overseas. These criminals are serious and organised, and many are also involved in the supply and sale of drugs – often on a large and global scale.”

The crimes plaguing rural areas include livestock and machinery theft, hare coursing, illegal gambling, poaching, and fly-tipping — all of which have a lasting impact on farming communities. Victims are often left feeling isolated, vulnerable, and without justice.

In response, PCC Jones launched the Country Watch Rural Crime Task Force in June this year, a dedicated unit aimed at disrupting rural crime and providing a visible police presence in remote areas. Since its inception, the task force has already recovered between £160,000 and £170,000 worth of stolen goods.

Task Force Inspector Cath MacDonald said the team works closely with other units across the region and neighbouring counties. “Officers are routinely supporting colleagues in other teams both over the county borders and locally, such as neighbourhoods, response, firearms and roads policing, to proactively disrupt criminals as well as respond to ongoing crimes,” she said.

In one recent operation in Odiham, officers executed a warrant at a property where tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of suspected stolen goods were seized. Four arrests were made as part of that investigation alone.

“On top of this they are out patrolling all over the county, stopping vehicles and making arrests,” added MacDonald. “All of this hard work will continue – not only during this week of action but all year round.”

According to figures from NFU Mutual, rural crime cost the UK £44.1 million in 2024 — a 16.5% decrease on the previous year. While the decline is welcome, authorities stress that the threat remains significant and sustained efforts are still needed.

PCC Jones noted that over 75% of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is rural, with vast areas of farmland and countryside vulnerable to organised criminal activity. She said her office continues to invest millions of pounds into rural policing, including cutting-edge technology such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, thermal imaging, and dedicated local officers.

“We need to take the fight to the criminals and let them know we’re coming for them,” said Jones.