Rural crime in focus at North Norfolk 'Barnstorming'

North Norfolk residents will be having their say on rural crime at a special meeting being hosted by Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) tomorrow evening.

The Holkham Estate is the venue for the PCC’s next ‘Barnstorming’ event, which will take place from 7.30pm on Wednesday 18 April.

The PCC introduced the Barnstorming events to put a spotlight on the issues affecting rural communities, giving members of the public the chance to discuss their views, experiences and concerns with a panel of experts. It will be the third time the PCC has teamed up with officers from Norfolk Constabulary to host such an event – with Barnstorming sessions previously having been held in West Norfolk and Breckland.

“When I campaigned to be PCC for Norfolk I pledged to support rural communities by listening to and responding to the needs of people in the countryside,” said PCC Lorne Green.

“The aim of Barnstorming is to give people who live and work in the rural community the opportunity to find out more about what is being done to address their concerns about police visibility, to tackle feelings of isolation, help them feel more engaged with their police service, and encourage the reporting of rural crime.

“We’ve had an excellent response from rural communities in West Norfolk and Breckland, and I hope as many residents and members of the local farming community as possible will attend the Holkham meeting.”

As well as inviting them to share their views with the PCC, police and panel members, Lorne will also be encouraging those attending to take part in the National Rural Crime Survey which launches tomorrow.

It is three years since the National Rural Crime Network, of which Lorne is a member, undertook its last rural policing survey. That survey revealed the huge cost of crime to rural communities, as well as issues such as under-reporting, fear of crime, frustration and low satisfaction with the police response.

The follow-up survey, which opens to responses on Wednesday 18 April, aims to identify any changes to the issues affecting those who live or work in rural communities, assessing the progress made by police, PCC’s, partners and communities in tackling those issues.

“Joining the National Rural Crime Network was something I did very soon after being elected Norfolk’s PCC in 2016”, said Lorne. “Since then, I have worked with Norfolk Constabulary to better understand the rural crime issues affecting communities and drive a new rural policing strategy for our county.

“It’s through sharing their views and experiences on the ground that our communities can really influence change and shape the policing service they receive. I hope that anyone living or working in a rural community will spare a few minutes to complete the National Rural Crime Survey 2018 between 18 April and 10 June.”

The PCC’s Barnstorming event is due to take place at Holkham Hall, Holkham Road, Wells-next-the-Sea, NR23 1AB between 7.30pm and 9pm on Wednesday 18 April.

To take the National Rural Crime Network’s 2018 Survey, please visit www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net