The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) is a multi-agency partnership involving key organisations collectively working together to prevent, reduce and tackle rural crime.

Rural Watch Scotland Rural Watch Scotland

Providing strategic focus and an ethos of collective understanding, they are committed to listening, being visible, plus understanding local and national concerns in order to reduce any perceived fear of crime while promoting a culture where individuals can prosper.

SPARC has and will continue to achieve this through providing practical crime prevention advice, drive and support intelligence gathering that may result in enforcement activity, all of which is underpinned through empowerment and reassurance.

Rural v urban

While the volume of crime in rural areas is lower than in urban locations, the consequences and impact of a crime committed within a rural community or environment often have a much deeper and far-reaching impact, both on the victim and community as a whole.

It is acknowledged particular challenges exist in target hardening and/or tackling criminality, particularly when a crime is reported as ongoing coupled with an all-too-common perception that the cost, extent and social impact of crime in rural areas is underestimated, under-reported and not fully understood.

Analytical data

SPARC has developed accurate and evolving analytical data reflecting the varying crime trends and types that impact with greatest significance on rural communities plus the data has also assisted in its ability to identify potentially vulnerable areas.

This subsequently drives activity designed to encourage prevention, gain intelligence plus enable enforcement which will in turn increase reassurance.

Priorities

For the purposes of this strategy and following consultation with key and relevant partners, SPARC members have collectively defined rural crime for Scotland as: any crime that occurs in a rural location or affects any person living, working or visiting a rural location.

A SPARC spokesman explained: “There is no doubt that over the course of this strategy, Scotland’s rural communities and environments will experience significant change from a number of factors.

“Some of these include land reform and in particular through scale and concentration of land ownership, community ownership and agricultural holdings, all of which will impact on landowners, tenants, businesses and communities.

Natural beauty

“Scotland is renowned for its great natural beauty and the rural communities of Scotland are safe places in which to live, work and visit.

“However, the nature of the environment and way of life means there are some crime prevention tips particularly relevant to rural life.”

Rural Watch Scotland

‘Rural Watch Scotland’ is an extension of the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland movement and a product of SPARC aimed specifically at the rural community of Scotland and aims to bring all the benefits of Neighbourhood Watch to your local community irrespective of its location, size or demographics.

The objectives of Rural Watch Scotland mirror that of Neighbourhood Watch, namely to:

Reduce crime and the fear of crime by providing the right information, to the right people, at the right time.

Encourage people to think about safety and security for themselves, their neighbours and their community.

Improve community cohesion and wellbeing by supporting communities to develop ‘their watch, their way’.

Work in partnership with national and local service providers in order to develop more resilient communities that are better prepared against threats, intentional or unintentional, such as crime or extreme weather.

How to join

The experience of Neighbourhood Watch throughout Scotland and elsewhere across the world is that members of Rural Watch Scotland will be less likely than non-members in the rural community to be a victim of crime.

By joining the Rural Watch Scotland scheme you can receive alerts and advice by phone, text or email.

Rural Watch Scotland, by keeping you informed about crime and other threats in your area, can help prevent crime, and keep both your community and its residents safe.

Your response to these alerts can help us catch criminals or be better prepared to deal with other threats to your community.

To join Rural Watch Scotland simply visit https://www.ruralwatchscotland.co.uk/#SignUp