There's been a strong increase in the losses incurred through crime in Sussex's rural areas: but police say they're working to reduce it.
According to today's (August 1) new figures from rural insurer NFU Mutual, the cost to Sussex of theft in countryside areas last year had risen by 38% above the figure to 2021, to an estimated £1.3 million.
The rise is well above the nationally averaged increase of 22%, to a total of nearly £50 million.
Hannah Binns, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual, said:
"Highly-organised gangs are causing disruption to farming and widespread concern to people who live and work in the countryside.
"Rural theft is changing. It is not only opportunist thieves travelling a few miles, we are now seeing internationally organised criminal activity.
"These gangs target high-value farm machinery and GPS kits because they can be sold all over the world.
"Many items are stolen ‘to order’ by thieves using online technology to identify where farm machinery is stored and scope out the best way to steal it.
"They will also spend hours watching the movement of farming families to work out the best time to move."
In Sussex, the region's police service is supervised and held to account by Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne.
Responding to the new figures, she commented:
"Organised rural crime clearly poses a serious problem for farmers in our county and it’s worrying that the cost of rural theft in Sussex has risen by 38% in the past year.
"Sussex Police’s dedicated Rural Crime Team was established 3 years ago following extensive consultation with local farmers, landowners, rural businesses and organisations like the National Farmers Union.
"The team of 22 works alongside the Force’s Specialist Enforcement Unit to successfully target criminals who use our county’s road network to carry out their criminal activities.
"As PCC, I’ve awarded funding for more signage and specialist forensic marking kits so that people living and working in our rural areas can target-harden their equipment.
"I have also given funding for farmers and rural businesses to use the DISC app which enables better intelligence-sharing and the opportunity to report crime in real time to officers in the Rural Crime Team.
"We know all too well how the livelihoods of farmers are severely impacted by the loss of animals or plant machinery.
"Tackling rural crime remains a priority within my Police & Crime Plan and Sussex Police will do their utmost to tackle organised criminality so as to protect our farming communities and the ability for them to sustain their businesses."
Sussex Police has advice on preventing rural crime, available by following this link.
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