Last month, at the request of local farmers, I chaired a meeting at which West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Superintendent for Shropshire spoke to those concerned about a recent spate of burglary of farm machinery. 

I engage regularly with farmers from around South Shropshire, in particular through the local National Farmers Union groups, so had been aware that thefts of agricultural machinery and vehicles had become a rapidly growing concern in our community. I had raised the issue previously with our Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion. 

At the meeting, he and other officers involved were able to provide insights into Op Gander – an eight-month investigation into serious and organised rural crime launched by West Mercia Police last summer, following a spate of agricultural crimes around Shropshire. So far, Op Gander has resulted in the arrests of eight men from across Shropshire, six of whom were charged for some 80 separate offences in Shropshire and Mid-Wales, mostly for the theft of high value vehicles, including tractors, 4x4 vehicles and ATVs. 

This effort to crack down on rural crime has been helped by the fact West Mercia now has a record number of police officers, at 2,520, with more being allocated to South Shropshire to help improve local visibility and resourcing. This reflects the government delivering on its 2019 manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 more police officers across the country.

Last year, the government also passed the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act, which will help prevent theft by requiring immobilisers and forensic marking to be fitted as standard to new agricultural equipment.

But there are also steps we can all take to ensure vigilance in the community, such as joining West Mercia’s Rural Watch programme. 

By engaging Safer Neighbourhood teams directly with rural communities, Rural Watch aims to reduce local opportunities for crime and vandalism; reinforce community spirit so that everyone can contribute towards the protection of their property; introduce early warning systems in the farming and countryside areas; and improve the intelligence flow between rural communities and police. More information can be found on West Mercia’s website www.westmercia.police.uk. 

Since 2010, crime excluding fraud has fallen by 55 per cent, and Shropshire has the lowest crime rate of all the county areas in West Mercia (of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Telford & Wrekin). 

But I am also aware of wider concerns about retail crime such as shoplifting, so I welcome the government’s plan, announced last month, to help crack down on this threat to our high streets. 

Assaulting a retail worker is being made a standalone criminal offence, and the government is clamping down on offenders who repeatedly target the country’s high streets, with serial offenders forced to wear tags to track their movements. Investment in facial recognition technology, alongside information sharing between the police and some of the largest retailers in the country, will help identify and catch criminals who repeatedly target shops. 

On Thursday 2nd May, voters in South Shropshire and across West Mercia will go to the polls to vote for their Police & Crime Commissioner. Having worked with John Campion for the past eight years, and knowing his focus and success in getting more officers into Shropshire, I firmly believe he is the best candidate to oversee the performance of West Mercia Police. 

If you have particular concerns about criminality in your area, I would encourage you to engage with the officers in your Safer Neighbourhood Team, or email me at philip.dunne.mp@parliament.uk and I will pass on your concerns to West Mercia Police.