Cornwall farmers urged to boost security against rural crime

A padlocked gate. A motion light that snaps on the second someone steps into the yard. Small things, but they are exactly what stands between a farm and a criminal working out where to strike next. Devon & Cornwall Police want more of Cornwall’s rural properties to have them.

A week of action on rural crime

As part of a Rural Crime Week of Action, the Devon & Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team is encouraging farmers and rural communities to review their security measures and make it as difficult as possible for criminals to target their property.

The basics officers want you to check

Officers are keeping the advice simple. Gates, buildings and fuel stores should be properly secured. CCTV helps. So does motion-activated lighting around yards, sheds and stores.

None of it makes a farm untouchable, but together those steps change how a property looks to somebody sizing it up. A locked gate and a camera in view are often enough to send an opportunist criminal somewhere easier. Officers say the point of good rural crime prevention goes further than keeping people off the land. It protects the livelihoods and the valuable equipment a farm depends on to keep running.

What to do if something isn’t right

Anyone who spots suspicious activity around a farm, a gateway or a fuel store is asked to report it. In a non-emergency, that means calling 101 or using the form on the police website.

If it’s happening right now, the advice changes. Call 999 immediately.

📷Julian Fry of the Devon & Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team. Credit: Devon & Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team