Extract from Westminster Hall debate on Organised Crime in Rural Areas - Mar 18
Thursday, 19 March 2020 07:24
Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Melton) (Con):...First and foremost, I
call today for a dedicated rural crime unit and strategy, either
within the National Crime Agency or the Home Office, or
as a joint effort. It should incorporate the Plant and Agricultural
National Intelligence Unit in some form or another, because of the
data that it is able to bring to bear on this question. We also
need to standardise policy approaches to rural crime across the UK,
because responses can be...Request free
trial
(Rutland and Melton)
(Con):...First and foremost, I call today for a dedicated rural
crime unit and strategy, either within the National Crime Agency or the Home
Office, or as a joint effort. It should incorporate the Plant and
Agricultural National Intelligence Unit in some form or another,
because of the data that it is able to bring to bear on this
question. We also need to standardise policy approaches to rural
crime across the UK, because responses can be inconsistent and
patchy. The UK Border Agency should also review its role in
tackling rural crime and what should be considered organised crime.
Given that much of the proceeds of crime can end up in mainland
Europe—or, as we have heard, Ireland, which is obviously part of
Europe—we must ensure that large machinery stolen on a Monday does
not end up on the continent on a Tuesday morning. I ask for 111 and
999 operators to receive specific and improved training to ensure
that complaints and reports of crime are taken seriously and acted
on appropriately. That is a small step that could make a big
difference to our rural communities...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
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