Claims that rural crime will soar are 'nonsense' (From Gazette & Herald)

Claims that rural crime will soar are 'nonsense'

CLAIMS that rural crime is set to soar because of low rural policing figures have been dismissed as "nonsense" by North Yorkshire Police.

The Countryside Alliance claimed funds for rural areas would be siphoned off to tackle violent urban crime. But, say the police, there have never been so many officers in North Yorkshire as there are at present.

What is more, Ryedale actually has slightly more police officers per head of population compared with the region's urban areas such as York and Selby: 1.7 officers per 1,000 population are policing North Yorkshire's eastern area, which includes Ryedale, compared to 1.6 in centres such as York, Selby and Harrogate.

In North Yorkshire's eastern area, which covers Ryedale, Scarborough and Hambleton, there are 407 police officers. In York and Selby, 406 and in the western region, which covers Harrogate, there are 394, making a total of 1,427 police.

In addition, there are 220 officers in specialist roles.

Figures for last year in Ryedale show low rates of crime. Among the categories of crime recorded for 2001, under 'theft other (not burglary)' there were 356 offences reported, 38 of which were on farm

properties. Goods stolen included trailers, horse boxes, roof slate, stone walls, implements left in fields, a generator and power washers.

To protect their properties, three-quarters of farmers have installed security lighting, and a similar number keep dogs. In addition, seven out of ten farms now have window locks.

According to a survey, 84pc thought they lived in a good place, giving friendliness and low crime rates as their reason for liking their neighbourhoods.

According to the Countryside Alliance, the Government plans to concentrate police resources in urban areas.

Yorkshire regional director Lindy Best said: "If funds ... to further concentrate police resources in urban areas are siphoned off to tackle violent urban crime, then rural people can expect to see the already increasing rural crime rate soar yet further, as criminals will target rural areas where police resources are already woefully insufficient."

"That is nonsense," said North Yorkshire Police spokesman Tony Lidgate. "North Yorkshire is as rural as it comes. Crime has fallen or held steady here for years. One of the very good things about living here is the very low crime rate."

He said North Yorkshire's rural residents worked hard to be vigilant. Farmers patrolling in Country Watch schemes was one way that the country folk worked with the police, and there were a variety of watch schemes up and running.

"A lot of people come from the cities to see how we do things here. They are always amazed at how good people are here at looking after their neighbours.

"People here are quick to pick up the phone and that is one of the reasons why we have a tight grip on crime."

The problems, said Mr Lidgate, were with the travelling criminal. Tyneside, Merseyside Leeds and Bradford, for example, were within easy reach.

"The trouble is, there are more roads than bobbies," he said.

PC Terry Triffit, Ryedale community safety officer, also stressed the low level of crime in Ryedale. "But we should not be complacent," he warned. "We should all keep up our vigilance."

The new head of the North Yorkshire force, in her first week in the post, is Della Cannings. She came from the largely rural Devon and Cornwall force. "She knows about country ways," said Tony Lidgate. "She was telling us about Exmoor the other day and I thought, that sounds just like Yorkshire."

Updated: 09:01 Wednesday, October 23, 2002