Rural West

Rural crime

Rural crime continues to be a priority across Elwick, Dalton Piercy and Hart Village, where the impact of such offences is often felt more deeply due to the isolated nature of these communities. Residents and landowners have highlighted concerns ranging from off‑road bike nuisance to theft, criminal damage, and suspicious activity linked to travelling criminals. We remain committed to addressing these issues through a combination of targeted enforcement, strong partnership working, and sustained engagement with those who live and work in our rural areas.

As part of our ongoing rural crime strategy, we continue to hold and attend regular rural crime meetings to ensure we fully understand the issues having the greatest impact. These meetings allow us to share intelligence, identify emerging patterns, and coordinate our response with partner agencies, local authority teams, and community representatives. This collaborative approach ensures that our activity is focused, informed, and responsive to the needs of rural residents.

Through Operation Checkpoint, we work closely with neighbouring forces and local partners to identify travelling criminals and disrupt their activity before they can cause harm. This cross‑border cooperation is essential in rural areas, where offenders often move quickly between locations to avoid detection. Our teams also maintain strong engagement with farm‑run establishments, offering crime‑prevention advice, gathering intelligence, and strengthening relationships that help us respond quickly and effectively when incidents occur.

Tackling off‑road bikes and the nuisance they cause remains a key priority. These vehicles can cause significant damage to farmland, disturb livestock, and create safety risks for residents. We carry out targeted patrols at peak times to maximise visibility and increase opportunities to intervene. The drone unit plays an essential role in this work, allowing us to cover large areas efficiently, locate offenders, and respond directly to concerns raised by our rural communities.

We remain committed to protecting Elwick, Dalton Piercy and Hart Village by combining proactive policing, community intelligence, and strong partnership working. Our focus is on reducing harm, preventing crime, and ensuring that rural residents feel safe, supported, and heard.

Anti-social behaviour

Anti‑social behaviour (ASB) remains a key priority across the ward, with residents, businesses, and partner agencies continuing to raise concerns about the impact it has on daily life. We recognise the harm that persistent ASB can cause ranging from intimidation and nuisance behaviour to criminality and we remain committed to reducing these issues through a balanced, proactive, and partnership‑led approach.

We continue to work closely with partner agencies and local education providers to reduce the harm caused by ASB across our communities. This collaborative work is essential in ensuring that young people and vulnerable individuals are offered meaningful education, guidance, and diversionary opportunities that help prevent issues from escalating. By addressing the root causes of behaviour early, we aim to reduce the likelihood of repeat incidents and support individuals in making positive choices.

Our teams will proactively target key locations and individuals involved in persistent ASB to protect residents from becoming victims of crime. This includes regular high‑visibility patrols, targeted problem‑solving activity, and intelligence‑led deployments to areas where concerns have been raised. We will continue to listen to the community and adapt our approach as new issues emerge.

Alongside prevention and early intervention, we will make full use of the civil and criminal legislation available to us. This includes Community Protection Notices, Criminal Behaviour Orders, and tenancy enforcement measures where appropriate. These tools allow us to intervene effectively, place restrictions on those causing harm, and support housing providers in maintaining safe and secure living environments. Enforcement is an important part of our strategy, but it is always used alongside efforts to encourage long‑term behavioural change.

By blending robust enforcement with early intervention, education, and support, we aim to create safer neighbourhoods and reduce the impact of ASB on those who live and work within our communities. Our focus remains on preventing harm, protecting victims, and ensuring that everyone feels safe and confident in their local area.

We will continue to work closely with residents, partners, and community groups to ensure concerns are heard and addressed. Your information and feedback play a vital role in shaping our priorities and helping us target our resources where they are needed most. Together, we will continue to build a safer, stronger community.

Anti-social / speeding vehicles

The community has continued to raise concerns regarding anti‑social vehicle use, dangerous driving, and the increasing link between these behaviours and the misuse of off‑road bikes. These issues create significant disruption across the ward, affecting residents’ quality of life and contributing to wider anti‑social behaviour. Vehicles being driven at excessive speed, performing reckless manoeuvres, or being used in an intimidating manner pose clear risks to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. We fully recognise the impact this has on feelings of safety, and addressing these concerns remains a key priority for our policing teams.

A number of the reports we receive highlight that anti‑social driving and off‑road bike activity are often connected, with the same individuals involved in both. Off‑road bikes in particular cause damage to green spaces, footpaths, and farmland, while also creating noise nuisance and distress for residents. Tackling this issue requires a coordinated and sustained approach, and we continue to work closely with our partners to ensure that happens.

Community Speedwatch plays an important role in helping us identify problem areas and gather accurate data on driving behaviour. Volunteers working alongside officers provide valuable insight into where speeding is most prevalent, enabling us to target our resources effectively. This community‑led approach strengthens our understanding of local concerns and supports our wider enforcement activity.

In addition, our Roads Policing Units and the Camera Safety Department are actively supporting this work. Their involvement includes targeted enforcement operations, mobile speed checks, and the use of specialist equipment to deter and detect dangerous driving. These teams also assist in identifying vehicles linked to persistent anti‑social behaviour, allowing us to take further action where necessary.

We will continue to carry out targeted patrols, seize illegal off‑road bikes, and take robust action against those who put others at risk. Community intelligence remains essential, and we encourage residents to report concerns so we can respond swiftly and effectively.

Our aim is to reduce harm, improve safety, and ensure that our neighbourhoods remain places where people feel confident, supported, and secure.