Thefts “not investigated” by police

Victims of rural crime watch their property get stolen, tell police a theft is in progress and provide pictures, but get “fobbed off” and no-one gets convicted, a councillor alleged.

The West Mercia Police commissioner denied the claim that he and his officers “don’t care about rural crime”, but admitted not every case can be solved.

He urged farmers and other members of the public to continue providing reports and evidence.

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion was answering a question from Herefordshire councillor Sebastian Bowen, who is also a member of his Police and Crime Panel.

Cllr Bowen said his constituents, especially those who are farmers, are “extremely disturbed by the lack of response from the police.”

He added: “They say ‘We have a serious crime going on – this has happened, that has happened – and we have pictures for you’, and no response is made, or a very minimal one.

“Perhaps they might give a crime number and that is it.

“The impression gained by many people is that the police don’t care about rural crime. It is not convenient for them to deal with and they are fobbed off, including in some quiet serious cases of theft.

“They also have, sometimes, given photographs of the vans and vehicles being used and these have just been ignored. I find that extraordinary.”

Mr Campion, whose force area incorporates Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire, reassured Cllr Bowen that “if there is an ability for the police to investigate, West Merica will always investigate.”

He said: “I never want any of our community to think, when a crime is reported, that that isn’t taken seriously.

“But we need to be very very straightforward with ourselves and the community that not every crime is going to be solvable, so our drive has to be that those who are causing the harm in our community are brought to justice.

“There is considerable effort to tackle serious and organised crime as it manifests itself in our rural communities.”

Mr Campion advised the public to contact their local inspector or him directly if they felt their reports weren’t taken seriously, and urged them not to give up reporting crime.

“Intelligence is one of those things that our community can continue to help our police be successful,” he said.

“If they see a van that they don’t like, make sure they are letting the police know. If there is intelligence, make sure they tell them.”

Cllr Bowen added: “I do hope the police will allow themselves to be helped when they get information.”