Rural crime in Leicestershire and Rutland affects farms, heritage sites and countryside communities. The guidance in this section brings together practical, easy-to-follow advice to help deter, delay and detect rural crime.
Rural crime covers a wide range of offences, often carried out by organised groups. Key categories include:
- Agricultural: machinery, fuel, GPS units, livestock and quad-bike theft
- Heritage: damage or theft from listed buildings, scheduled monuments and archaeological sites
- Equine: tack, trailers, horse theft, lorry theft
- Wildlife: hare coursing, poaching, persecution of protected species
Use the links below to find out more about how you can reduce and prevent rural crime:
Prevention Principles: Deter, Delay, Detect
Use a layered approach to protect property and livestock:
|
Principle |
Aim |
Examples |
|
Deter |
Discourage criminals |
Forensic marking, decals, security signage, motion lighting, visibly places cameras, maintain visible presence e.g. guard animals, foot traffic |
|
Delay |
Slow down access |
Reinforced gates, robust locks, thorny hedging, cap and inverted gate hinges, immobilise vehicles with pedal locks, steering bars or wheel clamps |
|
Detect |
Identify intruders early |
CCTV, alarms, GPS trackers, monitored alarm systems, perimeter alarms and systems with audible warning systems, ensure CCTV resolution is sufficient for identification and evidence |