NGO helps get wildlife officers back on the beat in Wiltshire

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The NGO has been instrumental in getting dedicated wildlife officers back on the beat in Wiltshire after police budget cuts led to them being removed.

The NGO Regional Chairman Nick Stiff met the Police and Crime Commissioner to say that wildlife officers were an absolute necessity, not least because of a surge in poaching and hare coursing in the county since the cuts.

Officers from the force had been provided with training free of charge by the NGO, in a one day course which covered, among other things, the Wildlife and Countryside Act, the Poaching Prevention Act, trapping and the economic benefits of shooting.

A Rural Crime Partnership group was established by Wiltshire police to bring together representatives from a number of organisations with a vested interest in tackling rural crime in the county. As a result funding has been secured to train up to 20 Wiltshire Rural and Wildlife Crime Officer. They will enhance the work already carried out by the six existing force Wildlife Crime Officers across the force. The new officers will work as part of the community policing teams to offer support and advice on rural matters to the local community.

The NGO worked alongside the National Farmers' Union and the Country Land and Business Association and other partners to achieve this result and communicated with its local members by email throughout the process.

Speaking about this achievement, Operational Lead for Rural Crime PC Marc Jackson, Wiltshire Police, said: 'The introduction of the Rural Crime Partnership within Wiltshire has helped us to focus our limitd resources on crimes which affect our rural communities. As the police lead for wildlife crime, I work closely with the NGO and its members to identify areas which are being affected by poaching and seek to address the effects this activity has on estates and the community.

'We periodically run operations across the county alongside landowners, farmers and gamekeepers under OP Engage, an operation which aims to disrupt poaching and rural crimes within Wiltshire. We also work closely with neighbouring forces, as the individuals and groups involved in poaching do not recognise county borders, so the sharing of intelligence is key for disruption.'

NGO Regional Chairman Nick Stiff said: 'We are very encouraged that Wiltshire Police has worked with us and other organisations to help in the fight to tackle rural crime, which unfortunately has affected many of our members in the county. We will continue to help the police in reducing rural criminality and would urge members to report all incidents by calling 101. This will help police in helping the keepering community.'

The NGO is a member of the England and Wales Poaching Priority Delivery Group which has produced the Project Poacher app to help with the reporting of the crime. It provides information on poaching offences and includes a step-by-step guide on reporting offences.