Rural Crime
An overview
In the main, rural areas face much the same sort of crime as urban and inner city areas. This includes burglaries, thefts of and from cars, violence and drug offences.
Some crimes, such as speeding or fly-tipping, may raise particular problems or be more prevalent in the countryside.
There are also crimes peculiar to the countryside. These include thefts of livestock and farm equipment and from rural establishments such as stables, wildlife crime and mass trespass.
The isolation of rural communities, the lack of facilities and services, the make-up of the rural population and the nature of rural community life may affect the way in which crime is experienced and the nature of appropriate responses and preventive measures.
Overall, however, both the level of general crime and the fear of crime are lower in rural areas.
A White Paper on rural issues, including rural crime, was to be published in 2000 The Home Office is continuing work on the development of a strategy for rural crime.
Last update: 09/09/03