Rural crime concerns

Salmon poaching, hare coursing and intimidation are amongst the big issues farmers and landowners say they are facing across Hampshire and Isle of Wight this summer.

Members of the rural community met with Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones at Southwick Estate near Fareham, where proactive solutions such as Rural Crime Task Force actions and the new EyesOn rural crime reporting app were also detailed.

A first of its kind in the UK, the digital app is now available to all countryside businesses across the two counties. They can apply to the Hampshire Rural Community group for free membership (subject to approval).

Funded by Donna Jones, EyesOn has already processed 62 crime reports from over 347 members since it went live, including 37 poaching incidents, 18 suspicious vehicles and two wildlife crimes.

The Commissioner said: “It is vital that officers receive CCTV and intelligence from these rural businesses, to help catch offenders and combat the targeting of farmers and landowners by criminal gangs.

“Rural Crime is a blight to our countryside communities and EyesOn is already assisting our focus in this area to tackle these crimes.

“I want everyone across our region to feel safer and to forge stronger links with their local police officers, while there are now a dozen new Local Bobbies placed into rural areas.

“I would encourage anyone with a rural business to apply to join the EyesOn app for free giving them the ability to report incidents easily and quickly, while also receiving ongoing day-to-day help and support from police.”

The app underwent a limited trial period and testing phase with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Rural Crime Task Force and selected members earlier this year.

Applications for free membership to the app’s Hampshire Rural Community can be made at www.eyesonapp.com or just download EyesOn from your app store and apply to join the Hampshire rural community.

Last June, the PCC launched the Country Watch Rural Crime Task Force, a dedicated team of officers to patrol and police rural areas. Since then, they have recovered £574,000 worth of goods, including plant and machinery, disrupting the trade in moving stolen farm equipment.