Council working with Sussex Police to tackle rural crime ​

Horsham District Council is working in conjunction with Sussex Police to combat crime in rural areas of the Horsham District.

There are particular areas of concern currently surrounding local farming communities resulting in a spate of barn thefts and several incidents of large scale illegal industrial fly tipping on agricultural land.

The Horsham District has a dedicated Rural Crime team who are trained in this specialist area of crime.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Rural Affairs Cllr James Wright met recently with Rural Policing Inspector Oliver Fisher to discuss how the two organisations can work more closely together to address these issues.

“As part of my role as Rural Crime Team Inspector, I speak to farmers as often as possible,” said Fisher. “In my experience, farm security is one of the biggest issues farmers face. Due to the relative isolation of many farms and the high value of farm machinery and tools, they can be an attractive proposition for thieves.

“I would ask all farmers to consider installing CCTV or trap cameras. There are a range of affordable solutions on the market.”