£443K GRANTED TO SUPPORT SOUTH YORKSHIRE’S RURAL COMMUNITIES

Published 3 March 2026 at 2:00pm

A new initiative to crack down on rural crime and support local communities across South Yorkshire is launching today (Monday 2 March 2026).

The South Yorkshire Rural Crime Initiative has been launched in response to the crimes and issues that disproportionately impact rural communities, such as anti-social behaviour, theft, vandalism and fly-tipping. It follows the granting of £443,000 of funding from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to further boost efforts to protect rural communities and businesses, including farmers from crime.

The impact of rural crime causes ripples within the wider area and beyond, through increased costs for security and insurance, as well as reduced investment in local economies and depopulation. The theft of machinery, fuel and crops plus the damage caused by off road bikes and quads directly delays harvesting and reduces yields, while damage to infrastructure can compromise food safety and availability. 

Through the initiative, which is being delivered by South Yorkshire Police and funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, financial support is available to purchase and install crime prevention products and materials with the aim of reducing rural crime and fear of crime, bringing offenders to justice and keeping communities safe.

The funding can be used to pay for products such as CCTV cameras, security lighting, enhanced signage, drones and other target hardening measures, following tailored advice and guidance from SYP officers.

South Yorkshire Police will also be delivering heightened engagement and enforcement activity across the county to tackle rural crime. This will include strengthening their work with communities and partners to ensure a joined-up approach to tackling rural crime through joint operations and environmental improvements, and linking in with local councils to tackle issues such as fly tipping and vandalism.

South Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector Peter Spratt, the force’s rural crime lead, said: "The South Yorkshire Rural Crime Initiative has been launched in direct response to the issues we know disproportionately affect rural communities. Rural crime causes misery to our hardworking farmers, gamekeepers and landowners, leaving so many feeling isolated and intimidated. We will not tolerate this.

"Alongside this new initiative, we are increasing our visibility, improving our response and supporting our rural community to invest in prevention measures such as drones, GPS tracking and CCTV to help us identify those committing these crimes.

"We are all responsible for tackling this issue and I urge residents to work with us and support our work by reporting rural crime and information to us. All reports and pieces of intelligence help us to build up a clearer picture of the offending, identify those responsible and ensures we can respond more effectively in your area."

Kilvinder Vigurs, Deputy Mayor for Policing for South Yorkshire, said: “Since taking up my post I have attended several rural crime meetings and visited local farms to listen to the real concerns from farmers and their families.  South Yorkshire’s rural communities play a vital role in our region, and they deserve to feel safe, supported and protected. That is why we have made this funding available — to give farmers, landowners and rural residents the tools they need to safeguard their livelihoods and strengthen their resilience against crime. 

“The South Yorkshire Rural Crime Initiative is an important step in helping people protect their property, their animals and their equipment through practical measures such as CCTV, security lighting and other crime‑prevention technologies. By investing in these communities and working closely with South Yorkshire Police, we are taking a proactive and targeted approach to tackling rural crime and reducing the fear of crime. 

“These funds are only one measure to support rural communities, we also need the public to protect our countryside and do their bit to keep it free from fly tipping and anti-social behaviour.

“I encourage all eligible residents and businesses to consider the support available and continue working with the police to keep our rural areas safe for everyone.”

To find out more and check if you are eligible for financial support, visit the South Yorkshire Rural Crime Initiative website here.

If you want to pass on information about rural crime or suspicious activity in your area, we want to know about it.  You can report rural and wildlife crimes online here or call 101. If a crime is in action, always call 999. 

If you don’t feel comfortable sharing information directly with us, you can also report information or crimes completely anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on their website by calling 0800 555 111.