About this toolkit

People who live in rural areas fall victims to the same types of crime and disorder as people elsewhere and suffer the same types of problems. These problems may be compounded by other aspects of rural life; for example, a lack of services, physical isolation and social exclusion.

There are also crimes that are peculiar to the countryside, such as thefts of livestock and farm equipment, wildlife crime and mass trespass.

Wildlife crime takes many forms, from people shooting at birds with air guns in the local park to the more organised crimes of poaching, badger baiting and the trade in endangered species.

Although evidence from the British Crime Survey 2001 indicates that the level of general crime is lower in rural areas, the survey also shows a widespread perception that crime rates in rural areas are rising.

This toolkit must be considered in conjunction with the other toolkits before developing particular strategies and action plans.

Toolkits bring together information on the latest developments, research findings and promising approaches. Each toolkit is designed to help partners identify problems, develop responses and monitor progress. Each will also highlight practical measures to make communities safer. The effectiveness of the toolkits relies on your help. We very much welcome contributions and advice on how to improve their content and approach. Details on how you can help to improve this site are available at "Innovation".