Rural policing to come under scrutiny in study

Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw is urging those who live and work in the county's rural communities to have their say.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Apr 2018, 15:21 BST
Updated 19th Apr 2018, 15:26 BST
Clive Grunshaw, Lancashires Police and Crime Commissioner.Clive Grunshaw, Lancashires Police and Crime Commissioner.
Clive Grunshaw, Lancashires Police and Crime Commissioner.

His comments came as the National Rural Crime Survey got underway yesterday, which aims to find out the public’s perception of rural policing, as well as their views on crime and anti-social behaviour.

It will also focus on the impact of crime to households and businesses in rural communities.

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With previous surveys suggesting rural crime is underreported, this year will look at understanding why this has been the case and how to increase the reporting of crimes in rural areas.

In Lancashire, residents will also be asked about ways they would like to see the police interact with them and help keep their communities safe.

Mr Grunshaw said: “This survey is all about ensuring members of our rural communities get their voices heard. I want to know more about the sorts of crime people are experiencing, whether they are reporting it to the police as well as how they want to engage.

“Since 2010, Lancashire Constabulary have had to make savings of almost £84m a year which has resulted in the loss of around 800 officers. This has meant a lot of changes to the way we deliver the service but we still need to get a clear picture of the experiences of crime and policing in our rural communities to allocate resources according to the demands across the whole county.”

Visit www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net to take part in the survey.