Crime Prevention

Contacts for the Warwickshire Rural Crime Team

We are fortunate in Warwickshire to have a dedicated Police team to work on rural matters. Please note the names and contact details for the Officers in the rural crime team below:

PC Andy Steventon– South West Warwickshire –- 07557 033186

PC Kate Taylor– South East Warwickshire –- 07814 046730

PC Matt Simms – South East Warwickshire –- 07841 048543

PC Andy Timmins– North Warwickshire –- 07790 951230

PC Andy Hoey– North Warwickshire –- 07870 514842

PC Jennifer May-Royle– Rugby, Nuneaton & Bedworth –– 07890 390715

The team are also supported countywide by Carol Cotterill who can be contacted on 07787 151848.

Please do not contact the above Police Officers to report a crime or when a crime is in action –  in these instances ring 999 or 101.  But the above contacts are available if you wish to discuss a specific issue or understand more of what the rural crime team is doing in your area. They will appreciate an invite to come and say hello, as they want to know their patches and the issues on the ground.  The above contacts can also offer crime prevention advice.

You can also follow the team on Facebook or subscribe to the Warwickshire rural alert system here.

Keep an eye out for hare coursing

Reports of illegal hare coursing are being reported in a number of areas around the county and the police are asking for help in reporting any incidents or suspicious activity.  Hare coursing tends to occur at this time of the year after harvest when large areas of land have been cleared of standing crops and can continue into the Spring.  It usually occurs at dawn or dusk but the Police have had reports at all times of the day and night.

If you see hare coursing taking place, or suspect it is happening in your area contact the police straight away.  You are advised not to approach the participants.   You can also report it online at www.warwickshire.police.uk.   Warwickshire Police have dedicated Rural Crime Team and Wildlife Officers who work with response and local beat officers to address wildlife crime and catch offenders in our county. Warwickshire Police is part of Operation Galileo, a national approach to hare coursing with police forces working together to tackle this illegal wildlife crime.

Could the uWatch cube help with your security concerns?

The uWatch Cube is a little weather proof box that can be sited anywhere that has a mobile signal. If the cube is moved, something moves in front of it, a Bluetooth Tag activates it, the temperature is outside a range you have set or the internal clock has told it to activate you will receive an alert on your smartphone in less than 30 seconds. The uWatch Cube could therefore be used for a variety of situations including security and as such the device has Police “secured by design” approval for preventing and solving crime. To view full information on wWatch Cube please visit this website.

Rural Crime Reporting

As part of their ongoing work to tackle the serious issues surrounding criminal behaviour on farms and in the wider countryside, the NFU has partnered with the charity Crimestoppers to launch the Rural Crime Reporting Line, a service through which information about four rural crimes can be given anonymously. Rural crimes often go under-reported and their true extent remains unknown. Anyone who has experienced, witnessed or has any information about these rural crimes is encouraged to come forward and call the line – your information could be extremely valuable.

Contact number: 0800 783 0137
Website: http://www.ruralcrimereportingline.uk

Beware of fraudsters targeting farmers who receive subsidy payments

In the past, banks have warned that fraudsters pretending to be from their bank’s fraud department may try to target farmers who receive subsidy payments. Remember:
• Your bank will never ask you for your full online password
• Your bank will not ask you to make a payment over the phone using your online account.
• If you get a call from someone claiming to be from your bank (or any other organisation), make sure it’s genuine. End the call then wait 5 minutes and call them back on a number you know is correct (not a number they’ve given you).
• Never give your PIN and other passwords to a 3rd party even if you think you are speaking to your bank.

Cyber Safety Advice

In the light of the recent cyber attacks on the NHS Warwickshire County Council has produced some cyber safety advice for businesses.
To read the advice in full please use the link below.

New YouTube videos to help businesses avoid cyber crime

A new YouTube Channel has recently been launched which is specifically aimed at businesses. The Channel houses an array of short, useful videos covering cyber crime related topics.
Some of the video topics include Ransomware, Phishing Emails and Password Management. If you’d like to view the videos or look at what other topics are covered visit the YouTube Channel below.

Horse Watch

Warwickshire Horsewatch is also open for horse owners in the West Mercia area. Warwickshire and West Mercia forces also recognise that with rural and equine crime, thieves do not respect borders and what happens in one county soon moves across to another. Therefore, alerts from many other counties are included on their Facebook page and in their Bulletins. You are invited to join the Warwickshire Scheme. To join, please visit the Warwickshire Horsewatch website.