11 Mar 2020
On 6th March 2020, Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn, hosted his 4th annual St David’s Day Conference at Dyfed-Powys Police Headquarters.
The focus of this year’s event looked at the challenges of Policing in rural areas. The area served by Dyfed-Powys Police is predominately rural and has over one million hectares of agricultural land. The many remote rural communities present challenges in narrowing down potential criminal pathways.
Guest speakers at the conference included individuals and organisations specialising in countryside matters. They included Dr Gareth Norris and Wyn Morris from Aberystwyth University; PC Esther Davies, Rural Crime Officer in Ceredigion; Emma Picton-Jones from the DPJ Foundation, a charity that provides practical support and mental health training to those who work within the agricultural sector; Carmarthenshire County Councillor, Cefin Campbell who is a member of the Executive Board for Communities and Rural Affairs at the Council; and Temporary Detective Superintendent Estelle Hopkin-Davies who is the force lead for Serious Violence and Organised Crime.
The speakers discussed mental health of individuals living in rural areas, the rural crime survey conducted in 2017 and 2019, Dyfed-Powys’ approach to rural crime, serious violence and organised crime, and Carmarthenshire County Council’s approach to rural crime.
Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said, “Following on from last year’s successful conference where cyber-crime was discussed, this year’s conference was an exploration of policing in rural areas.
“The four counties of Dyfed-Powys are home to some of the most rural and remote areas of Wales and England. This conference will consider what this means in terms of trying to support people who live in these areas, and what challenges rural communities pose to public services and the emergency services.”
“It was a pleasure to welcome so many key figures from the world of rural matters to my St. David’s Day Conference.
“It is very important that we share our knowledge and best practice on tackling rural crime and dealing with rural issues. We had a number of informative and inspirational inputs – thank you very much to all who took part.
“I am confident that Dyfed-Powys Police are making a big difference in fighting rural crime in this area, and that they will continue to do so. I have highlighted my continual commitment to supporting the Rural Crime Team and I was pleased to hear the Chief Constable promise to review rural policing resources. One of the reasons I hosted this Conference was to assess what future activity needs to take place for us to further improve local services.
“Thank you again to all who attended and took part in our open, honest and important discussions on rural matters. It was fantastic to see the engagement and networking taking place at this Conference which I think has been a great success.”
In 2017, Dyfed-Powys Police launched a Rural Crime Strategy for 2017-2021 following a study by Aberystwyth University that was commissioned by Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner. In 2019, the University conducted another study to capture the changes in police responses and attitudes towards farm and rural crime since the implementation of the 2017-2019 strategy.
Dr. Gareth Norris from Aberystwyth University was at the conference to discuss their Rural Crime study, and said, “The results of the follow up survey show a number of positive developments linked to the implementation of the rural crime strategy. The key message was that the farming and wider rural community were seeing inroads into the investigation of criminal events and widening trust in the police more generally, which builds foundations for greater collaborative
PC Esther Davies from Dyfed Powys Rural Crime team said; “Partnership working is vital. Since the Rural Crime Team at Dyfed-Powys Police was set up in 2018, we have been working closely with communities from across the force area. As a team, we are committed to caring for our rural communities and continue in our quest to prove right from wrong – rural crime will not be tolerated.”
Emma Picton Jones from DPJ Foundation who was at the conference discussing the work of her charity said “Agriculture carries the highest rate of suicide above any other occupation. It is an isolated occupation and there is a resistance towards seeking help. Financial issues, work load and physical work are just some of the factors that contribute to poor mental health within the industry. It is important that we all work together to support our farming community and the Rural Crime Team in Dyfed Powys are a fantastic example of support within the community.”
Police and Crime Commissioner hosting his 4th annual St David's Day Conference
Guest speakers at the conference
