A new police initiative is launching this weekend to help reduce rural crime.
Operation Harrow will see Bedfordshire Police step up their efforts in rural areas where there has been a slight increase in burglary and vehicle crime in recent months.
This will mean high visibility policing in a number of smaller more isolated areas and villages.
Local Policing Inspector Gail Mulvaney said: “I am delighted that we are able to dedicate resources to the rural areas to address issues that have been raised with us.
“Residents in rural communities often feel that they are overlooked by the larger urban areas and I hope that this operation will go some way to reassure the public that we are taking crime in their area extremely seriously.
“Our officers will be out and about in the community, talking to residents and businesses about their concerns, handing out crime prevention advice and encouraging people to join up to a range of local services such as Neighbourhood Watch and Ringmaster.”
The operation will involve a dedicated team made up of members from the Local Policing Team, Crime Reduction, ANPR units, Tasking Units and the Specials Tasking and Rural Crime Team (STaRC) and will also work alongside partnership groups such as Neighbourhood Watch.
Much like Operation Peak which targeted known burglary offenders during the winter months, Operation Harrow will be ‘firm, fair and friendly’ while using all available resources to combat rural crime.
If you have information relating to rural crime please contact Bedfordshire Police, in confidence, on the non-emergency number 101, or text information to 07786 200011.
Alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.