Three brand-new top-of-the-range 4x4s are set to help police fight against rural criminals.
The new Hilux 4x4s are based across the county in Newark and Sherwood, Rushcliffe and Bassetlaw and help bolster Nottinghamshire Police’s fleet of quad bikes, off-road bikes, and an older Hilux which are used in rural areas.
The new vehicles include automatic number plate recognition cameras which help instantly alert officers to vehicles linked to criminal activity, as well as spotlights allowing specially trained officers and the rural team to head into territory where normal patrol cars can’t.
Funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry has meant the three new vehicles in action helping catch fuel thieves and poachers, and out on patrol in hard-to-reach locations.
Sergeant Rob Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We’re really pleased with the new vehicles and they’re already being put to good use in Nottinghamshire.
“They’ve given us much more capability and tactical options now that they’re on the road which increases our chances of catching baddies.
“We’ve expanded the fleet and there is nowhere we can’t go.
“The gloves are off and we’re out in the rural areas doing what we need to do.
“It means we can get to areas we couldn’t do before. We would struggle to catch hare coursers, poachers, and nuisance vehicles that would go off-road, whereas now we can continue to do the preventative measures but also catch the offenders using the new vehicles.”
Additional funding has also allowed officers across the force to undertake more training surrounding rural crime.
This includes national rural crime training for beat officers, farm awareness and health and safety training, and five new rural crime points of contact within the control room.
Call handlers and dispatchers are also given additional training by the National Farmers’ Union to help them better understand and respond to the unique impact that rural crime can have when they assess the threat, risk, and harm caused by the incident being reported.
There are now 48 police constables and PCSOs across the force who have access to this specialist equipment, resources, and training to increase awareness and ensure a better service for victims in their areas.
Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “One of the things I’m passionate about is making sure everybody in Nottinghamshire gets the police service they deserve.
“Historically some of our rural communities have felt left out, so I’ve been determined to make a difference by creating extra money to help reduce crime in vulnerable areas.
“We’ve taken action to purchase the new Hilux 4x4s to further strengthen our position of tackling criminals who may think they can escape by heading off-road.
“I want to make sure our officers in the rural areas, which makes up two-thirds of Nottinghamshire, have the kit they need to keep communities safe and feeling safe.”
If you are a victim of rural crime, report it on 101, or online through the Nottinghamshire Police website.
If a crime is in progress or it’s an emergency always call 999.
