NFU MUTUAL NEWS - TRAINING DAY ORGANISED TO HELP SCOTLAND’S POLICE FIGHT RURAL CRIME
- Leading rural crime experts to address Police Scotland officers
- Latest farm security system demonstrations
- Training event to be held at Lanark Auction House on November 21
A police training day spotlighting rural crime trends and security system developments is being held at Lanark Auction House on November 21.
The event is being organised by the Combined Industries Theft Solutions forum (CITS), an organisation dedicated to reducing the effects of crime on the construction industry and the farming communities.
It is being supported by leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, which provides financial support and expertise to Scotland Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) initiative.
The training day will provide Police Scotland’s officers, PCSOs and staff with opportunities to learn about latest crime trends and security measures. It will include presentations from the UK’s leading rural security experts including DC Chris Piggott, the UK’s international police liaison officer and Bob Henderson, Head of Engineering at NFU Mutual.
There will also be practical demonstrations of security systems being developed to protect expensive farm equipment from determined thieves. Organisations and companies taking part include the National Construction and Agricultural Theft Team (NCATT), CESAR machinery marking systems, Hitachi, Clancy and Murphy.
NFU Mutual’s latest Rural Crime Report revealed that rural crime cost Scotland £1.4m last year, a fall of 48% from 2021. However, the fall came after Scotland was hard hit by thieves in 2021, with the cost of rural crime in the country rocketing 52.3% to £2.6m.
Bob Henderson, Head of Engineering at NFU Mutual said: "Rural crime is costly and highly distressing for farmers so we’re delighted to be supporting this training event."
"The cost of rural crime in Scotland fell in 2022 – probably due to the SPARC initiative which we help fund. However, the cost of farm theft shot up in the rest of the UK and we need to keep up to date on latest trends and security systems to keep determined organised criminal gangs at bay."
Ian Elliott CITS Chair and Group Head of Security at The Clancy Group, said: "We’re holding this event to help Police Scotland tackle organised criminal gangs are making theft a huge problem for farmers. CITS works with police, crime-fighting organisations and machinery manufacturers including Clancy’s, Hitachi and Leica to provide officers with the knowledge and detection techniques to combat theft."
For more information on rural crime trends and advice, visit: www.nfumutual.co.uk/ruralcrime
