A week of action dedicated to protecting rural communities saw two people charged with threatening a gamekeeper, warnings issued to suspected poachers, several arrests and lots of community engagement.
Officers from Kent Police’s Rural Task Force worked with members of the rural community and agencies to carry out extra activity to target rural crime in the national Rural Crime Action Week which ran from Monday 21 October until Sunday 27 October 2024.
Police Community Support Officers attended community engagement events, undertook rural surveys and provided safeguarding and crime prevention advice to rural business and residents. A total of 10 arrests were made, 14 vehicles were seized and eight community protection warnings were given out during the week.
Kent is known as the Garden of England for its extensive rural areas and can see more reports of crime in those areas than other less rural counties. At this time of year, the main issues affecting rural communities are hare coursing and thefts of farming machinery that can have a devastating impact on local businesses.
This week in a nutshell
- On Monday 21 October, a community protection warning was issued to a man for poaching offences after birds were catapulted in Canterbury.
- A man was arrested for drug offences after trying to make off from officers along the A20 in Ashford on Monday 21 October. Officers pursued the vehicle for 25 minutes while the driver threw numerous items from the car, including drugs, before he was stopped and arrested. The 63-year-old has been bailed pending further enquiries.
- Officers attended Ashford cattle market on Tuesday 22 October to provide crime prevention advice and property marking.
- A Ford Fiesta was stopped in Bethersden on Tuesday 22 October. Catapults, knives and lamps, along with a deceased pheasant and pigeon were located. The two occupants of the car have been ordered to attend non-custodial interviews.
- Officers charged two people with offences including affray and threats to kill on Wednesday 23 October after their vehicle was stopped in Crundale the day before. Following a search, ball bearings, catapults and an injured pheasant were located in the boot. Man aged 38, from Challock was charged with threatening a person with an offensive weapon, trespass, theft from a shop, affray and threats to kill. A 17 year old boy from Challock was charged with threatening a person with an offensive weapon, trespass and affray. The charges relate to an incident on 21 October where a gamekeeper reported that he had been threatened by two people he had caught poaching. Both will appear at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on 7 November.
- More than 100 addresses were attended in Aldington and Sandwich on Wednesday 23 October, where officers provided advice on rogue traders and scams. They also gave a presentation to Ashford Young Farmers Group.
- On Wednesday 23 October, four men were issued with community protection warnings after they were stopped in Gravesend on suspicion of poaching and found to be carrying catapults.
- On Saturday 26 October, officers responded to a call regarding suspected poaching taking place in Brookland, Romney Marsh. A vehicle linked to previous poaching incidents was located and seized and a short while later three men were seen walking across the field with a lurcher dog. Following checks, all three were issued with a community protection warning in relation to poaching.
Sergeant Ross Haybourne from the Rural Task Force said:
‘The team had several busy shifts during Rural Crime Action Week, but it was very much business as usual. They are out on patrol every day in the rural areas of Kent to target and disrupt criminal activity.
‘People who live in rural communities often feel isolated and vulnerable and those involved in rural crime rely on threats and intimidation for their actions not to be reported to the police. However we remain committed to working with rural communities to make them feel safer and actively clamp down on the criminals who target them.‘Weeks like these are important to build strong relationships with members of the rural community and help us deter and detect offences.’