What can we do to reduce rural crime?

What can we do to reduce rural crime?

There will be few Midlands Machinery Show attendees who haven’t been affected by rural crime in some form.

The sliding scale is huge, from petty theft and vandalism to livestock rustling and industrial-scale fly tipping by organised gangs.

Optimal Risk Group says it will be using this year’s event to suggest solutions for how agricultural businesses across the region can be more safe and secure.

The company offers practical advice in risk management and security for businesses of all sizes with extensive technical expertise, comprehensive market knowledge, and highly specialised training courses to keep businesses across the industries safe, including agriculture.

A pioneer in the security and risk management industry with a national presence spanning over 25 years, Optimal Risk Group is looking to tackle rural crime head on with their structured national programme, Rural SafeGuard, which will be the primary talking point on the show stand this year.

Described as a knowledge sharing programme to raise awareness about and reduce rural crime, Rural SafeGuard equips farmers and foresters with the skills, knowledge and training needed to safeguard their people, property, and machines from organised and opportunistic crime.

For over 40 years, Senior Consultant Frank Cannon has been providing guidance and advice as a security specialist, and one of five Chartered Security Professionals in the Rural SafeGuard programme. He and his team are bringing their expertise to the Midlands Machinery Show.

“We are disrupters in the agricultural crime reduction area, as hitherto, our farmers and landowners have expected the police to look after their businesses,” says Frank. “We’re attending this year’s Midlands Machinery Show because it’s a great way to meet and talk to the farmers who are concerned about the safety of their business, and to show the farming community that we have the expertise and advice for them to address the rural crime challenges that they face.”

Optimal Risk is looking to build a public-private partnership to bridge the capability gap between police and rural communities and closely collaborate with police rural crime teams while using proven risk management solutions adapted from other sectors.

“For those who own, operate, or lease out agricultural machines, our Rural SafeGuard Programme introduces a commercially available certification pathway that recognises secure farms and estates, reassuring owners, deterring offenders, and unlocking potential security advantages.”

Frank sees the Midlands Machinery Show as a great opportunity to shine a light on not only the issues that rural communities face, such as the mismatch between levels of rural crime and the resources assigned to address it, but also what solutions that Rural SafeGuard can bring to farmers.

“With the support of our partners, the Rural SafeGuard programme is a leading example of how we work together to help British farmers develop their risk management skills to withstand crime across our countryside.

“We don’t just help farmers react to crime; we help them to reduce the opportunity for it to happen in the first place.”