Bedfordshire’s new deputy police and crime commissioner vows to crackdown on rural crime

New deputy police and crime commissioner has pledged to tackle crimes like fly-tipping, theft from farms and hare coursing.

Ian Dalgarno met the county’s farming community and was joined by Bedfordshire Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, rural crime team and National Farmers Union (NFU) forthcoming county chairman Freya Morgan.

He said: “It is vitally important the police ensure our rural communities feel as safe and protected as those who live in our larger towns.

“The energy and enthusiasm from the meeting alongside some recent action we have taken should give renewed confidence to our farming community that we are all on the same page to crackdown on rural crime.”

This month a man was fined £3,000 as part of a joint operation by the police and Central Bedfordshire Council for fly-tipping in Houghton Regis.

Bedfordshire Police’s rural crime team has also secured a series of fines and criminal behaviour orders in connection to a hare coursing event in Bedford.

Deputy commissioner Dalgarno introduced his vision for a ‘rural task force’ for farmers, the NFU and police to work together to help crackdown on rural crime.

The PCC believes these meetings are crucial for improving performance and delivery of police service in our rural areas and for the police to hear constructive feedback.

PC Stuart Grant from the force’s rural crime team spoke at length about the hare coursing which still takes place around Bedfordshire and encouraged farmers to record every incident to allow police to better understand the extent of the problem.

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