Big Barn Meet held in Tring as local authorities discuss how to combat rural crime

Neighbourhood safety teams discussed pressing issues with the local community
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Police officers met with local organisations and residents to discuss how to combat rural crime at the Big Barn Meet in Tring.

On Tuesday (15 March), with rural crime becoming a greater issue in many parts of the country, officers discussed the preventative measures the force has put in place to discourage these increasingly popular crimes.

The Big Barn Meet was held at Dunsley Farm in Tring with the Berkhamsted and Tring Safer Neighbourhood Team leading the meeting.

The event was organised by Tring PC Lazarus ClarkThe event was organised by Tring PC Lazarus Clark
The event was organised by Tring PC Lazarus Clark

Dacorum Chief Inspector Jason Keane opened the meeting and was followed by a host of different speakers.

Officers from different branches of the Hertfordshire Constabulary force took turns to explain their roles in making the area safe.

This included: the Safer Neighbourhood Team, the constabulary’s Rural Operational Support Team, the echo team*, dedicated rural crime detectives and staff from the Force Communication Room.

Interested organisations that also took part in the meeting included: the National Farmers Union and the Animal Welfare Team at Dacorum Borough Council.

Another picture of Hertfordshire Constabulary staff at the eventAnother picture of Hertfordshire Constabulary staff at the event
Another picture of Hertfordshire Constabulary staff at the event

Among the issues raised and discussed were fly-tipping, livestock worrying, irresponsible dog owners, hare coursing and theft of farming equipment.

PC Lazarus Clark, who organised the event, said: “Barn meets are a great way to engage directly with our rural communities.

"This is the first one we’ve been able to hold for a couple of years due to the pandemic and I’d like to thank all those who attended, those who gave talks and presentations, and Dunsley Farm for providing a great venue for our meet.

“As a result, I’m now in direct contact with the NFU representative for this area, which will help bridge the gap between the farming community and the local SNT.

Many local groups were representedMany local groups were represented
Many local groups were represented

"I have also arranged to carry out joint visits to all the farms in our area in partnership with the NFU over the coming months.

“Dacorum is an area with a large percentage of countryside, and we’re committed to building and maintaining strong relationships with those living in rural communities.

"If you have any issues, concerns or ideas you’d like to discuss with us then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

Hertfordshire Constabulary advises, you can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

You can use community voice platform ‘echo’ inform the police of what you think it should be prioritising in your area.

Your anonymous feedback will help towards shaping local policing priorities, initiatives, and campaigns. Visit bit.ly/police- dacorum and tell officers what you think.

To receive police messages about a range of topics including burglaries, scams and missing people in your local area, sign up to owl.co.uk/herts or download the ‘OWL crime alerts’ app from your app store.