Rural Crime Week of Action - An open letter from Superintendent James Brain

Rural Crime Week of Action - An open letter from Superintendent James Brain

Dear Resident,

As we mark the national Rural Crime Week of Action, I want to send a clear message to our rural communities. I also want to send a message to those who seek to exploit Wiltshire's countryside: 

Wiltshire Police will not tolerate rural crime. 

Across the country, rural crime has become increasingly organised, sophisticated and harmful. Criminal networks operate across county boundaries, targeting farms, businesses, wildlife, heritage sites and rural communities. What may appear to be isolated incidents are often linked to wider criminality involving organised crime groups, vehicle theft, acquisitive crime, anti-social behaviour and other serious offences. 

The reality is simple: rural crime is a national threat.  

It damages livelihoods, threatens animal welfare, causes significant financial loss and leaves victims feeling vulnerable in the places where they should feel safest. For many victims, the impact extends far beyond stolen property. It affects their homes, businesses and way of life.  

Recognising the changing nature of rural criminality, Wiltshire Police has invested in developing specialist expertise and building one of the most proactive rural crime responses in the region. We recognise that tackling rural crime requires more than enforcement alone. It demands specialist knowledge, strong partnerships and officers who understand the unique challenges facing our countryside. 

Working alongside the National Rural Crime Unit, neighbouring police forces, partner agencies, farming organisations and rural communities, we have transformed the way we prevent, detect and disrupt rural offending.  

We have embedded dedicated officers with enhanced training in wildlife and heritage crime within our Neighbourhood Policing Teams and strengthened our ability to identify emerging threats and respond proactively to offending. This has improved our understanding of rural crime, strengthened relationships with rural communities and enhanced our ability to target offenders.  

We have also strengthened partnerships through Wiltshire's first Rural Crime Partnership Conference, bringing together national experts, enforcement agencies, farmers, landowners and specialist practitioners to share knowledge, identify emerging trends and develop solutions to help protect our countryside.

This work is delivering results. 

A recent example took place on 2 September 2026, when reports were received of a vehicle in fields with a dog believed to be pursuing hares. Although the vehicle left the area before local patrols arrived, effective communication and coordinated action led to officers locating and stopping the vehicle in Swindon. The occupants were subsequently arrested on suspicion of trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.  

This incident demonstrates the value of information provided by rural communities, the effectiveness of coordinated policing activity and our determination to act swiftly against those suspected of committing rural crime.  

Over the last two years, Wiltshire Police has achieved: 

These are not simply figures on a page. They represent organised criminality disrupted, victims safeguarded and communities protected.  

Every action sends the same message: those who commit rural crime in Wiltshire will be identified, disrupted and brought before the courts. 

To those considering targeting our farms, businesses, landowners or rural communities, understand this: Wiltshire is not an easy target. 

Wiltshire Police has the capability, partnerships, specialist expertise and determination to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. From neighbourhood officers and specialist teams to investigators, we take a whole-force approach to tackling rural crime. So let me be absolutely clear: 

If you commit rural crime in Wiltshire, expect to be identified, expect to be pursued, expect to be arrested and expect to face the courts. 

To our residents, farmers, landowners and rural businesses, thank you for the role you continue to play in helping us tackle rural crime. The information you provide remains vital in helping us identify offenders, understand emerging concerns and take action against those causing harm in our rural communities.  

The progress we have made is the result of stronger partnerships, specialist expertise and a shared determination to protect Wiltshire's countryside and while rural crime continues to evolve, so do we.  

Wiltshire Police is equipped to confront this threat, protect our rural communities and ensure that those who seek to profit from criminality find no refuge in our county. 

Let me repeat: Wiltshire Police will not tolerate rural crime.