Rural policing in North Hampshire praised by local farmers
Forum highlights improvements, but calls for stronger community ties with local teams
Farmers and landowners in North Hampshire have welcomed improvements in rural policing during the latest Rural Engagement Forum, held at Apsley Farms near Andover.
While hare coursing, fish poaching and fly-tipping remain major concerns, participants expressed positivity about police response times and increasing awareness of rural crimes. However, calls were made for more robust day-to-day communication between neighbourhood teams and the farming community.
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones emphasised her focus on rural crime since becoming PCC, with investments in the Rural Crime Task Force, recruitment of officers, the introduction of the Local Bobby scheme, and better countryside policing tools such as drones and specialised vehicles.
“We have a large county police force, and we have been on a journey. Rural crime was not prioritised properly over the last decade; we are now recovering from that,” Jones said.
“Charge rates are going up in the rural community, crime rates are coming down, and the community is getting a good response time from police in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. That is most encouraging.”
Police training now incorporates challenges faced by rural businesses, including financial loss from theft, operational stresses, and mental health impacts, with support from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and National Farmers Union (NFU).
Senior officers including Force Lead for Local Policing, Assistant Chief Constable Tara McGovern, attended the forum to hear feedback.
“These landowners, farmers and gamekeepers are key stakeholders for us who are at the heart of their communities,” McGovern said.
“We’ve heard that what we are doing in rural areas is better now than it was 12 months ago, but there are always further improvements to be made.”
The forum highlighted proactive efforts by the Rural Crime Task Force to tackle hare coursing and the use of drones to support investigations into fish poaching and waste crime. Jones also pledged to strengthen the approach to salmon poaching and to lobby for legislation enabling local police to be more involved in dealing with organised and serious waste crime.
From the New Year, the forum will merge with Hampshire Constabulary’s Rural Crime Partnership to improve impact and coordination. The next Rural Crime Partnership event is scheduled for February 2026.