Stow farm venue for police training event

The awareness training session, to be held at Stow, will focus on the key priorities identified by SPARC (Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime) which include the theft of agricultural vehicles and livestock and the worrying of livestock by dogs. It will also include general security information for farm buildings such as barns, stores and fuel tanks.

Inspector Jane Donaldson, Police Scotland’s rural crime co-ordinator, said: “Throughout November and December, more than 50 Special Constables will attend “walk and talk” events on farm premises. Sessions are to be held in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, Stow in the Borders and in Ayr, where the Special Constables will be trained on how to provide rural crime prevention to farmers and rural residents.

Inspector Laura Mackay, the national co-ordinator for the Special Constabulary, added: “Many of our Special Constables live or work in rural communities and have existing knowledge and skills we can build on by providing them will this awareness training.

“This training will greatly increase our resilience across the country to provide bespoke rural crime prevention and further reduce rural crime.”

Residents in rural locations can assist police by taking simple security measures to reduce the opportunities for criminals. There is a booklet entitled “Guide to Security in the Rural Environment” and leaflets which can be found on the Police Scotland website which has valuable information for all those who live and work in our countryside. http://www.scotland.police.uk/keep-safe/home-and-personal-property/rural-crime