Farm Crime in England and Wales: A Preliminary Scoping Study Examining Farmer Attitudes

Abstract

Farms stand apart from other rural businesses in the levels of crimes they experience, and the impact of farm crime reverberates far beyond the immediate rural community. However, there continues to be a lack of interest in farm crime as a research topic in both England and Wales. This study explores attitudes of farmers towards farm crime, crime prevention, the police, and potential predictors of farm victimisation. An online survey was completed by 71 farmers; a further 55 farmers partially completed the survey providing important additional data. An analysis of the survey results shows low levels of confidence in and reporting to the police, low levels of crime prevention usage, and varying potential predictors of victimisation.. This survey extends existing international farm crime research to the UK, and aims to establish an understanding of farmers' attitudes towards crime prevention and the police; and how these attitudes and farm characteristics relate to victimisation levels. This lays the foundations for further research and the introduction of behavioural science into the farm crime prevention arena.