What is Rural Crime?

Lancashire Police defines rural crime as offences that relate to farms and agriculture, wildlife and the environment, tourism and heritage sites. It also includes damage, theft and violence against the rural community.

With its rural villages, market towns, and working farmland, Lancashire is a beautiful place to live, work and visit. Around three-quarters of our policing area is classed as rural and the crime rate in those areas remains low but unfortunately, these rural locations are not immune from the problem of crime.

Rural crime and rural communities have different needs and expectations that urban areas and we are committed to providing a bespoke approach to protecting our rural areas.

Many of those who commit crime in rural areas come from the towns and cities not just in Lancashire but from neighbouring forces and further afield. We know that there are organised criminal gangs who will target agricultural machinery, livestock and will travel across the country in order to do so.