Julia Mulligan, the North Yorkshire Police Commissioner who announced plans to tackle rural crime along at Thirsk Racecourse earlier in the year, has retained her position in the recent local elections.
The Rural Policing Strategy launched by Mulligan in February, along with Chief Constable Dave Jones, outlined a new division created to focus on rural crime alone.
Still in its infancy, the dedicated task force, which is the largest of its type in the country, has already been making its presence known in the months since its establishment. Meeting with rural bodies at trade shows and engaging with farmers during lamb marking, the 16-strong unit has been seeing results from regular night patrols and making investigations into hare-coursing and fish poaching.
Vehicles fitted with Automatic Number Plate Recognition Technology in order to help police identify criminals travelling into North Yorkshire from outside its borders, have already been showing their worth, with five arrests made last month near Skipton following report of suspicious activity at a shop 20 miles away.
As the task force continues to work alongside the rural community and North Yorkshire Police, acting Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police Tim Madgwick commented on Julia Mulligan’s re-election,
“The role of Police and Crime Commissioner is an important one, as the Commissioner sets the strategic direction for the Force and holds the police to account on behalf of the public.”
“We look forward to working with Julia in her next term of office to deliver our shared ambition, which is to provide the public of North Yorkshire with the police service it deserves.”
The National Rural Crime Network estimates the cost of crime to rural communities is around £800m, and while the cost of crime has dropped in North Yorkshire, it remains in the top 10 of the worst affected areas in the country.
Julia Mulligan spoke of the concerns faced by the rural community and the reasons behind the Rural Policing Strategy:
“North Yorkshire is the safest place to live in the country. But research suggests that our rural communities don’t feel as safe as their counterparts in towns. A survey I commissioned as Chair of the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN) showed that there is a large-scale non-reporting of crime in the countryside and levels of satisfaction with the police are considerably lower than they are amongst town-dwellers. I was determined that things needed to change which is why I welcome the new rural crime strategy and all it entails.”
Sean McClarron, Managing Director at McClarrons, added:
“It is encouraging to know that these issues are being addressed so proactively. As a business that has a close affinity with the rural community, with many farming and rural clients, it is reassuring to see that action is being taken by the North Yorkshire Police to support and protect those living and working in rural areas. I hope that this initiative will help to make our local rural communities feel more confident in their police force.”
For updates on the North Yorkshire Police Rural Task Force, follow them on twitter @NYPRuralTF.
