Rural crime tops police tsar's agenda

Hardyal Dhindsa was at Castleton Visitor Centre to meet representatives from the Peak Park Authority, Derbyshire Dales District Council and High Peak Borough Council as well as PCSO Steve Rogers.

The commissioner, who is touring every town and village in Derbyshire, has pledged to do more to protect rural communities from crime. 
He chose his visit to Castleton to raise awareness of the work taking place to keep people and livelihoods safe.

He recently re-launched the Derbyshire Alert messaging service to warn residents of live crime threats and also unveiled the county’s first dedicated Rural Crime Team to focus on crime and antisocial behaviour in the countryside.

Mr Dhindsa said: “A lot of work is already underway to ensure our natural heritage is safeguarded for generations to come and much of this relies on our ability to work closely with partners and share information and resources. There’s still more to do, however, and we’re always keen to explore new ways to reduce feelings of vulnerability in isolated areas of our county.”

“We also want to promote the importance of local people and tourists helping to solve crime by remaining vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity to the police and this is a message we will continue to raise.”