Strengthening the Case for Rural Voices in Police Reform
Action Week Article
National Rural Crime Action Week 2026
6th–11th September 2026
Theme: Police Reform Must Include Rural Communities
“Policing resources need to be improved, and it’s time we work together to make sure rural areas get a fairer deal.”
— Tim Passmore, Chairman of NRCN and PCC for Suffolk
National Rural Crime Action Week 2026 brought together six days of continuous conversations focused on the issues shaping rural crime and policing. Under the theme “Police Reform Must Include Rural Communities,” the programme transitioned from understanding the scale of rural crime to examining policing capability, community participation, partnerships and practical action.
Day 1 |
Serious & Organised Rural Crime: |
The week opened by examining organised criminal networks operating across rural areas and the wider impact of rural crime on communities, livelihoods and businesses. |
Day 2 |
Rural Crime Teams & Community Confidence |
The focus turned to specialist Rural Crime Teams, policing visibility, local knowledge, intelligence and the importance of maintaining community confidence as policing structures evolve. |
Day 3 |
Parliamentary Drop-in Event |
At the House of Commons, 35 MPs and peers joined rural organisations and policing representatives to discuss rural resources, local accountability, specialist expertise, waste crime, intelligence sharing and equipment theft. |
Day 4 |
Partnerships in Action |
The week highlighted practical collaboration, including specialist rural crime training for more than 330 Cambridgeshire police officers and a pan-Wales operation targeting illegal off-roading. |
Day 5 |
Community Participation |
Nottinghamshire’s Rural Watch demonstrates how residents, volunteers, technology and policing can work together to strengthen prevention and intelligence. |
Day 6 |
Calls to Action |
NRCN’s 10-point roadmap set out practical priorities for tackling rural crime, from policing and specialist training to victim support, technology and stronger action against organised crime. |
Throughout the week, the programme connected policy discussion with practical examples of how rural crime was being addressed on the ground.
The campaign was supported by the NRCN network wide network of partners and associate members, including NFU, NFU Mutual, Crimestoppers, Countryside Alliance, CLA, Rural Services Network, APCC, The Willow Project, Historic England and Naturewatch Foundation, alongside Openreach, Clearway Group, Harper Adams University, VIN Chip and SelectaDNA.
Rural communities as Part of the Rural Crime Response
Community participation featured strongly during action week, with a Rural Watch scheme providing a practical example of how residents could support rural crime prevention. In Nottinghamshire, the scheme connected volunteers with police to share information, report suspicious activity, and strengthen local intelligence.
It demonstrated the value of local knowledge and community intelligence alongside policing resources, particularly across large and dispersed rural areas.
Rural Crime Is Bigger Than Crime Alone
National Rural Crime Action Week also highlighted how rural crime intersects with other forms of crime including wildlife crime, domestic abuse, waste crime, and community wellbeing.
The contribution from Naturewatch Foundation focused on violence against women and girls in rural communities. It also focused on the additional challenges created by isolation, and limited access to services.
These perspectives reflected that rural crime also has an impact on personal safety, livelihoods, the environment and community wellbeing, requiring responses that reflect the realities of rural communities.
Voices Shaping the Rural Policing Debate
PCCs and policing leaders used the week to put forward a range of perspectives on the future of rural policing. Tim Passmore, Chair NRCN & Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk; David Sidwick, PCC Dorset; Jonathan Ash-Edwards, PCC Hertfordshire; Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire & Crime for York and North Yorkshire; and Leo Hammond, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, alongside other regional voices, highlighted issues including:
- specialist rural capability
- policing visibility
- local knowledge
- fair resources and
- strong community relationships
Their contributions reflected different rural policing contexts while reinforcing the need for rural priorities to remain visible as policing structures and priorities evolve. The perspectives shared added practical policing experience to the wider debate and strengthened the case for rural communities to have a meaningful place in discussions about future reform.
Rural Crime Action Week across the UK
The week extended well beyond a single region, with police forces, PCCs, rural organisations and community initiatives supporting activity across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Contributions included rural policing activities in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Cambridgeshire and North Wales, alongside Rural Crime Week NI.
The range of activities reflected the different challenges faced by rural communities – from theft and organised crime to wildlife crime, illegal off-roading, waste crime, road safety and community safety. Regional participation also demonstrated how local knowledge and targeted action could complement the wider national focus on rural crime.
Across these different locations, Action Week provided a shared platform for showcasing local activity, practical responses and the partnerships working to protect rural communities.
A National Conversation Amplified
National Rural Crime Action Week extended beyond the organisations directly involved in the programme. National and regional media coverage, alongside activity from PCCs, police forces and partner organisations, brought rural crime in front of wider audiences and kept in on the national conversation.
The visibility across farming, rural affairs, policing and mainstream media, helping to highlight the issues raised during the week and extending the discussion beyond rural crime specialists. The Parliamentary Drop-in and contributions from policing and sector leaders provided further opportunities to keep rural priorities visible in national discussions.
From Awareness to Action
The scale of engagement during crime action week helped strengthen the case for rural communities to be included in policing reform. Parliamentary engagement, policing perspectives, practical activity and national media coverage kept rural crime visible across the wider debate.
The week also reinforced the priorities set out in NRCN’s Police Reform Position Statement, including the need to protect specialist rural capability, maintain effective local policing and ensure rural communities are properly represented in future policing structures.
Launching National Rural Crime Uncovered
Rural Crime Action Week also marked the launch of National Rural Crime Uncovered, NRCN’s podcast hosted by criminologist Dr Kate Tudor. The series created space for deeper discussions with PCCs, policing leaders, researchers and specialists, exploring serious and organised rural crime, rural policing and the future of policing reform.
Taking the Conversation Forward
The entire week clearly showed the breadth of work taking place to address rural crime – from community initiatives and specialist policing to parliamentary engagement and cross-sector collaboration. As policing reform progresses, NRCN will continue to ensure that the experiences, priorities and needs of rural communities remain part of the national agenda.
Action Week’s Impact at a Glance
With National Rural Crime Action Week 2026 now concluded, here’s a look at the reach, engagement and wider impact. To explore the key discussions, highlights and outcomes, read the full article.
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