Wiltshire Police, backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson, has launched a major campaign to coincide with National Rural Crime Action Week, stepping up efforts to combat organised offending across the county.
From hare coursing and poaching to agricultural theft and fly-tipping, the Force is deploying neighbourhood teams, specialist units, partner agencies and local communities to protect farms, wildlife and rural livelihoods.
T/Chief Inspector Andrew Lemon, the Tactical Lead for Rural Crime, said: “We’re mobilising neighbourhood officers, drones, CID and armed units to hit offenders at every stage. This sends a clear message that rural crime is treated with the seriousness it deserves, and we will not tolerate incursions on our countryside.”
Recent data highlights the scale of the problem. Between September 2024 and February 2025, Devizes accounted for 36% of Wiltshire’s hare coursing and poaching incidents – a 22% rise compared with the same period last year. Of 177 offences logged, 64 took place within the Devizes Neighbourhood Policing Team area, with peak activity seen on Thursdays and Mondays around midnight and on Saturday afternoons, as offenders exploit quiet hours and cross-border routes to avoid detection.
Agricultural theft has also surged, particularly in Salisbury and Warminster, where each Neighbourhood Policing Team recorded 21% of Wiltshire’s farm burglaries, equating to 15 of the county’s 72 incidents. February 2025 alone saw 31 thefts reported, compared with just seven in February 2024. High-value items including quad bikes, trailers, diesel and machinery worth up to £15,000 have been stolen, causing severe disruption for farmers. Investigations show that 31 of 35 named suspects travelled into Wiltshire from neighbouring forces, including Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Cardiff, Kent and Bristol.
In response, Wiltshire Police has launched 22 dedicated rural crime operations so far this year. These include three county-wide “Operation Galileo” deployments targeting hare coursing, three regional “Operation Ragwort” campaigns that stopped over 100 vehicles in March, and five joint actions with Wiltshire Council Enforcement and the Environment Agency against illegal waste-carrying and fly-tipping. The Force’s Armed Response Unit has also been deployed to pursue hare coursers and manage high-risk confrontations.
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson described hare coursing as “a brutal, illegal activity that devastates our countryside. It’s not merely a wildlife crime—it’s organised criminality that threatens the safety, livelihoods and peace of rural communities. Recent violent confrontations and property damage underline how serious this has become.” He called for tougher sentencing, adding: “Current penalties—an unlimited fine and up to six months’ imprisonment—are simply not enough. I’ve written to the Wiltshire Magistrates’ Bench and backed national efforts to strengthen sentencing guidelines. Victims of rural crime deserve justice that truly reflects the harm inflicted.”
Partnership working has already delivered results. Police have seized 15 vehicles, recovered six suspected stolen plant items, and made 22 arrests for poaching—a 500% increase on the previous year. More than £40,700 in crime-prevention grants has been invested in equine tagging kits and drone technology, while 156 intelligence submissions have supported proactive disruption.
T/Chief Inspector Lemon stressed that community support remains crucial. “We need residents to report suspicious activity as soon as they see it, either online, by calling 101, or in an emergency by dialling 999,” he said. “This information helps build intelligence, target offenders and keep our countryside safe.”
*Photo credit @countryside-alliance
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