PCSO and PCC team up for river patrols in Tideswell to deter poachers

The Police and Crime Commissioner has been teaming up with Safer Neighbourhood officers to help deter poachers from rivers in the Derbyshire Dales.
PCSO and PCC team up for river patrols in Tideswell to deter poachersPCSO and PCC team up for river patrols in Tideswell to deter poachers
PCSO and PCC team up for river patrols in Tideswell to deter poachers

PCSO Ian Phipps and PCC Hardyal Dhindsa joined Chris Thirtle of the Cressbrook and Litton Flyfishers Club to carry out joint patrols of the river routes.

The team took to the beat on Monday, October 24, to help deter rural crime and offer reassurance to residents living close to the rivers around Millers Dale, Monsal Dale, Litton Mill and Cressbrook.

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Force wildlife crime officer, PC Emerson Buckingham, said: “Fish poaching is an issue that affects the whole of Derbyshire at this time and is taken seriously by the Derbyshire Constabulary Wildlife Crime Unit.

“We are working in close partnership with the Environment Agency and a large number of fishing clubs across the county to tackle this issue. As part of this, we have teamed up with fishing clubs to launch an anti-poaching scheme whereby members can directly report these types of incidents to a wildlife crime police officer such as myself or the Environment Agency. This scheme has proved very effective since it started running at the beginning of the year.”

PCSO Ian Phipps from the Tideswell, Litton, Baslow and Beeley Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to team up with PCC Hardyal Dhindsa and Chris Thirtle to find out more about the work of the river bailiffs and to deter rural crime such as poaching on our rivers.”

Police and Crime Commissioner, Hardyal Dhindsa added: “It was really good to see the partnership working between the Safer Neighbourhood team and local organisations who are working together to protect the environment and communities of Derbyshire.

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“The fishing clubs and the rivers of Derbyshire are important to the social and economic vibrancy of our county and I was pleased to see PCSO Ian Phipps and Chris Thirtle leading the way in tackling wildlife crime in our rural areas.

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“I have come away with lots of great ideas and I will be following them up in due course with the neighbourhood team and the local parish councillors.”

To speak to the Tideswell Safer Neighbourhood Team call 101, or send them a message online using the Contact Us section on www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us

You can also follow the team on Twitter for all of the latest community news, @TideswellSNT

To report wildlife crime call police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.