There's nothing I love more than getting out of the city at the weekend. Blowing away the cobwebs with a walk in the countryside is a popular pastime for many of us.
Everything appears to be rosy in rural Scotland but beneath the splendour of the surroundings and the hustle and bustle of farming life is another thriving industry – organised crime.
Rural crime costs the Scottish economy £1.8million annually – and that figure is increasing year on year.
In this column recently I talked about waste crime but there’s much more to rural felonies than fly-tipping.
There’s poaching, hare coursing, badger baiting, theft of farm equipment and fuel, housebreakings, dog attacks, stolen livestock, fire-raising, wildlife crime and heritage and property offences.
It’s a multi-million-pound bonanza for crime gangs – especially from south of the Border – who target rural areas and move their operations into the agriculture sector.
So, you’d think that rural communities have plenty of police to protect them and to deter the gangs? Well, the numbers don’t back that up and as of April, 140 police stations and dedicated offices have been closed. Many are in rural areas and the officers deployed to urban areas.
People in rural communities feel isolated and are exasperated by the situation, which has worsened since Covid restrictions were lifted and gangs are on the move again.
Budget cuts have left police scrambling to find cash for funding in many areas. So, is rural policing being sacrificed?
It would appear so as rural and remote communities’ trust in police has all but eroded and they are less likely to call the force for help.
If anything, rural crime has risen. Farmers say a post-lockdown crimewave in 2021 cost an estimated £2.6million, up 52 per cent from 2020.
Gangs target quad bikes and high-value machinery to sell on. And items such as heating oil tanks are also being nicked.
One farmer told me Land Rover Defenders were targeted last year. They were being stripped down and sold for parts as second-hand car prices have rocketed.
Farmers and those living in isolated parts of the country are understandably nervous.
One said: “We don’t have any neighbours for miles and our nearest police office is 50 miles away. We have our own security but that doesn’t deter criminals. The cost of living crisis is affecting rural communities too and criminals are moving in to take advantage.
“We need dedicated police serving rural communities. What good is someone 50 miles away when I want to report fuel theft from my farm? Criminals know the police response can’t be anything but slow and by the time they get into gear the gangs have taken what they want and have moved on.”
It’s not good enough that the cuts are having such a detrimental affect on a large section of Scottish society.
Let's give our brightest students a chance to join the police
When I was younger, I wanted to be a cop. My grandfather worked with the force so I grew up surrounded by police officers and support staff.
My plan to join up was scuppered when they said women had to be a certain height. Given I’m all of 5ft in my bare feet the chance of becoming part of the thin blue line escaped me.
Recruits nowadays have no such concerns as age and height restrictions were lifted a few years ago and I noticed this week that recruitment has been opened again for anyone who fancies joining up.
Twelve weeks’ training, two years’ probation then the chance to specialise in other areas such as CID. It’s a fantastic opportunity for someone with ambitions.
But I couldn’t help notice criticism, from perhaps ex-officers who said beat cops should be made to stay on shifts for a minimum of five years before being allowed into specialist areas.
Too many young cops don’t want to do the hard graft, they said, and graduate entrants seemed to be treated with contempt by the commentators.
But why can’t graduates join the police? Just because they have a degree in, say, IT doesn’t mean they won’t make great officers.
We all have to start somewhere and I’m sure some of our best police officers spent less than five years pounding the streets.
The national shame of our drink and drug drive stats
It's disappointing to see a rise in drink and drug-using drivers across Scotland over summer.
More than 290 offences were detected during the two-week Summer Drink and Drug Campaign between Monday, July 4 and Sunday, July 17.
During that period, 585 roadside breath screening tests and 152 roadside drug tests were conducted.
So, why isn’t the “don’t drive under the influence” message getting through?
Do we need to go back to the 80s with hard-hitting campaigns to hammer it home that driving drunk or under the influence of drugs can kill? Is it a case of, “I won’t be caught so I’m going to do it” or, “I might have had a wee drink or two last night but I’m still capable of driving?”
Ignorance or selfishness? I can’t make up my mind. Can you?
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