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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for rural crime
17 results foundAuthor: McCarry, Melanie Title: Violence Against Women in Rural and Urban Areas Summary: This report compares and contrasts violence against women in rural and urban settings. Details: Bristol, UK: University of Bristol, 2009 Source: National Federation of Women's Institutes Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117297 Keywords: Rural CrimeUrban CrimeViolence Against Women |
Author: Klien, Andrew Title: Evaluation of the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Grant Program Special Initiative: Faith-Based and Community Organization Pilot Program: Rural Pilot Program Summary: This report presents the methodology and findings of an evaluation of the Office of Violence Against Women's (OVW's) Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Grant Program Special Initiative: Faith-Based and Community Organization Pilot Program (Rural Pilot Program), which was designed to reach out to small faith-based and community-based organizations (FBCO) that were not already addressing domestic violence. Details: Sudbury, MA: Advocates for Human Potential, Inc.: 2009 Source: Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116210 Keywords: CommunitiesDomestic ViolenceRural CrimeVictimization |
Author: Dhlamini, Jabu Title: Safety and Security in the Rural Parts of Ekurhulnei Metropolitan Area Summary: This report aims to provide knowledge about the nature of crime in rural areas of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan local government so as to enhance the capacity of local authority and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address rural safety needs. This report also aims to review crime prevention initiatives and the involvement of community organizations. Details: Johannesburg, South Africa: Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2005 Source: Royal Danish Embassy Year: 2005 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 116195 Keywords: CommunitiesCrime PreventionRural Crime |
Author: Fenwick, Tara Title: Rural Policing: Understanding Police Knowledge and Practice in Rural Communities Summary: This pilot study, conducted in partnership with Northern Constabulary, examined the dimensions of rural policing practice and knowledge in Scotland. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 34 frontline, supervisory and senior officers, ranging in rank from Constable to Chief Constable. The two main questions addressed were: What unique demands are encountered by the police service in different rural contexts in Scotland?; and What unique approaches to policing have been developed? Officers drew upon their years of experience in urban, rural and island communities in Northern Constabulary, as well as in other Scottish and UK jurisdictions. Data revealed that rural policing has a fundamentally different nature to urban policing, requiring active community engagement to be effective. While the nature of crime is not dramatically different from urban centres, the frequency of crime is much reduced, and as a result officers routinely take on the work of higher ranks and specialist units. Overall the study found that rural policing makes unique demands on officers and supervisors, and fulfils unique functions in strengthening communities and inter-professional linkages. Details: Dundee, UK: Scottish Institute for Policing Research, School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee, 2011. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: SIPR Research Summary No. 10: Accessed October 20, 2011 at: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Research_Summaries/Research_Summary_10.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Research_Summaries/Research_Summary_10.pdf Shelf Number: 123058 Keywords: Policing, Rural Areas (Scotland)Rural CrimeRural Policing |
Author: Mink, Michael D. Title: Violence and Rural Teens Teen Violence, Drug Use, and School-Based Prevention Services in Rural America Summary: This study had three main purposes: (1) to explore the prevalence of violence-related exposures and drug use among rural teens, (2) to investigate the effects of race and gender on the risk of exposure to violence and drug use, and (3) to compare the policies and mental health care services of rural and urban schools. The sections below summarize the results of this research: Exposure to Violence: This study found no evidence to support the common assumption that rural youth are protected from exposure to violence. • Of the 15 measures of violence activities, none showed a significantly lower prevalence among rural teens when compared to suburban and urban teens. In fact, rural teens were more likely than urban or suburban teens to have carried a weapon within the last 30 days. These results suggest that rural teens are equally or more likely than suburban and urban teens to be exposed to violent activities. Drug Use: Rural teens are at significantly greater risk of using drugs than both suburban and urban teens. • Five of the 13 measures of drug use showed a significantly higher prevalence rate among rural teens: chewing tobacco (11.5%), chewing tobacco at school (7.6%), smoking cigarettes at school (14.8%), using crack/cocaine (5.9%), and using steroids (7.4%). Only one measure showed a significantly higher prevalence rate among urban teens (smoking marijuana at school at 6.8%). The remaining seven measures showed no differences by residence. • Of important note is the prevalence of crystal meth use among rural teens. The proportion of rural teens who reported every using crystal meth (15.5%) was almost double the proportion of urban (8.8%) and suburban teens (9.5%). Crystal meth was the 4th most commonly used drug among rural teens after alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, making it more popular among rural teens than chewing tobacco. Effects of Race: Racial differences for exposure to violence and drug use are negligible among rural teens. • Non-white rural teens were no more likely than white rural teens to experience the 15 measures of exposure to violence. This result was similar to comparable comparisons among urban teens but not suburban teens, where non-white teens were more likely than white teens to experience 9 of the violence exposure measures. • Among rural teens, only one measure of drug use differed by race: rural non-white teens were less likely to report chewing tobacco compared to rural white teens. This pattern was strikingly different from the racial differences found among urban teens (9 differences) and suburban teens (7 differences). Effects of Gender: Exposures to violence and drug use vary by gender among rural teens. • Among rural teens, females are more likely than males to be coerced into sex or engage in suicide behaviors, while males are more likely than females to use weapons, be threatened at school, or engage in fighting behaviors. Male teens are also more likely than female teens to chew tobacco and smoke marijuana, both on and off school grounds. Teen Violence Services: Rural schools offer somewhat fewer teen violence services than rural schools. • Rural schools were less likely than urban schools to offer peer counseling and self help services, but just as likely to offer 14 other violence prevention and treatment services. • There were very few significant differences between rural and urban school in the way these services are delivered. Out of the 66 possible combinations of violence-related services and service delivery option, only 6 showed significantly lower utilization rates for rural schools. The remaining 60 combinations showed no differences by location. Teen Violence Services Personnel: Mental health care staff in rural schools are available for fewer hours, have fewer hiring requirements, and receive training for fewer teen violence services than their counterparts in urban schools. • Rural and urban schools were equally likely to have a guidance counselor, a psychologist, and a social worker on staff. However, all three of these professionals were available for significantly fewer hours per week in rural schools. • Rural and urban schools were equally likely to require a graduate degree, board certification, and a state license for newly hired guidance counselors and for newly hired psychologists. However, rural schools were significantly less likely than urban schools to require a graduate degree or a state license for newly hired school social workers. • Mental health care staff from rural schools were less likely than their counterparts in urban schools to receive training for certain teen violence services. Specifically, Mental Health Care Coordinators were less likely to receive training in suicide prevention, family counseling, peer counseling, and self help, while Health Education Coordinators in rural schools were less likely to receive training in tobacco use prevention. School Environment: Overall, rural schools report fewer policies and security practices that prevent violence and drug use than do urban schools. • Rural schools were less likely than urban schools to report using five (5) administrative policies to prevent student violence: prohibiting gang paraphernalia, student education on suicide prevention, violence prevention, and tobacco use prevention, and having a council for school health. The remaining 13 measures showed no differences by school location. • In response to student fighting, rural schools were less likely than urban schools to encourage or require participation in a student assistance program. • Rural schools were more likely than urban schools to monitor school hallways and to arm their security staff, but less likely to use a closed campus, prohibit bookbags, require school uniforms, use surveillance cameras, use uniformed police, use undercover police, and use security guards. The remaining seven school security measures did not differ by school location. Details: Columbia, SC: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center, 2005. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 29, 2011 at: http://rhr.sph.sc.edu/report/(4-5)%20Violence%20and%20Rural%20Teens.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: http://rhr.sph.sc.edu/report/(4-5)%20Violence%20and%20Rural%20Teens.pdf Shelf Number: 123173 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeJuvenile OffendersRural AreasRural CrimeSchool CrimeTeenagersViolence |
Author: Enticott, Gareth Title: Techniques of neutralising wildlife crime in rural England and Wales Summary: Within rural studies, there have been few attempts to critically analyse crimes against nature. This paper addresses this gap in the literature by providing an analysis of farmers’ reasons for illegally culling badgers in the United Kingdom. Drawing on Sykes and Matza’s (1957) concept of neutralisation techniques, the paper shows how farmers rationalise this activity in a number of ways. Using in-depth interviews with 60 farmers in the England and Wales, the paper shows how they justify badger culling through discursive strategies that claim the activity is necessary, denying victims or the necessity of the law, condemning the condemners, and appealing to higher communitarian loyalties. However, the paper also argues that neutralisation techniques should be seen as components of a broader argument in support of rural space and identity. In the case of badger culling; neutralisation techniques combine together to defend a particular rural identity and way of living. As much as they are attempts to rationalise criminal behaviour, neutralisation techniques should therefore be seen as spatial discourses, demarcating the boundaries of cultural identity and space. In conclusion, the paper discusses potential solutions to the problems of wildlife crime. Details: Cardiff, United Kingdom: The Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability & Society (BRASS), Cardiff University, 2010. 33p. Source: BRASS Working Paper Series No. 61: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 23, 2012 at http://www.brass.cf.ac.uk/uploads/WP61.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.brass.cf.ac.uk/uploads/WP61.pdf Shelf Number: 123742 Keywords: Criminal BehaviorRural CrimeWildlife Crime (United Kingdom) |
Author: Speir, John C. Title: Georgia Urban and Rural Arrest and Incarceration Rates: Examining Racial Patterns Summary: Georgia has witnessed a dramatic increase in its prison incarceration rate over the past fifteen years. Our last report (April 1, 2000), examined trends in crime, arrest and prison incarceration rates and highlighted dramatically different patterns in all three between urban and rural Georgia. These patterns raise questions about criminal justice system processing of whites and African-Americans residing in urban and rural counties. The purpose of this Special Research Report is to examine racial differences in Georgia's arrest and prison incarceration trends. The timing of this discussion is of particular importance as Georgia considers the establishment of statewide uniform and consistent responses to crime. Details: Atlanta, GA: Applied Research Services, 2000. 7p. Source: Special Research Report: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://ars-corp.com/_view/PDF_Files/GeorgiaUrban_RuralArrest_IncarcerateRates2000.pdf Year: 2000 Country: United States URL: http://ars-corp.com/_view/PDF_Files/GeorgiaUrban_RuralArrest_IncarcerateRates2000.pdf Shelf Number: 124195 Keywords: Arrest Rates (Georgia)Incarceration RatesRacial DisparitiesRural CrimeUrban Crime |
Author: Hardy, Jeff Title: Understanding Crime in Urban and Rural Areas Summary: The Rural and Urban Area Classification 2004 provides a method of identifying issues specific to rural areas. The classification defines each census output area as urban, town and fringe, village or hamlet and isolated dwelling. Using this classification in conjunction with recorded crime data, arson data, the Leicester Shire Business Survey and Leicestershire County Council’s Citizens’ Panel enables a comparison of crime issues between the urban and rural areas of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Between 2002/03 and 2004/05 the total number of offences recorded by the police in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland had decreased. The largest percentage decrease was in the hamlet and isolated dwelling areas. The only increase in recorded offences was within the urban areas of Leicestershire County. The recorded offence rate per 1,000 resident population shows the likelihood of being a victim of crime in the most rural areas of Leicestershire and Rutland to be virtually the same as in the urban areas of the county (excluding Leicester City). Three-quarters of the population of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland live in urban areas, concentrated in a relatively small geographical area. More than three-quarters of offences recorded by Leicestershire Constabulary occur within these urban areas of the city and county. The report highlights that even though the volume of recorded offences is much higher in urban areas there are some clear differences in the crime issues that affect the urban and rural areas of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Violence against the person is a growing problem across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, being a bigger problem in urban areas compared to rural areas. The larger percentage increases in reported violence against the person offences suggest it is a growing problem outside the city urban areas. Vehicle crime is a relatively bigger problem for rural areas, with theft from motor vehicles accounting for double the proportion of offences in hamlet and isolated dwellings compared to city and county urban areas. Vehicle crime had the largest percentage decrease of all offence types across all of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland during the three year period. Rural areas had the largest percentage decrease in theft from motor vehicle offences over the three year period. Damage offences are a bigger problem in both county and city urban areas and town and fringe areas compared to more rural areas. There has been a considerable decrease in the number of reported damage offences in city urban areas in the last three years. In comparison, there is an upward trend in the recording of damage offences outside the city urban areas. Burglary other than dwelling offences have decreased across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland during the last three years. Burglary other than dwelling is a relatively bigger problem for rural areas, though the largest percentage decreases are outside the city urban areas. Theft offences account for the highest proportion of offences within villages, hamlets and isolated dwellings. Rural businesses are less likely to have been a victim of crime in the last 12 months compared to businesses located in city or county urban areas. The perceived likelihood of being a victim of violence against the person or burglary is a lot higher than the actual risk. The perceived risk of burglary in county urban areas is thirty times higher than the actual risk. The disparity between the perceived likelihood of being a victim of violence is greater in urban and town and fringe areas compared to villages, hamlets and isolated dwellings. Details: Leicester, UK: Leicester County Council, 2005. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2012 at http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/council_services_contacts/about_leicestershire/statistics/rural_crime_report.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/council_services_contacts/about_leicestershire/statistics/rural_crime_report.pdf Shelf Number: 124225 Keywords: BurglaryCrime StatisticsRural CrimeUrban CrimeVictimizationViolent Crime |
Author: Balskus, Logan Title: Final Report Prepared for The Rural Crime & Justice Center (RCJC) by The Rural Methamphetamine Education Project (RMEP) Summary: Through analysis of existing methamphetamine-related data, RMEP identified that the prevalence of methamphetamine has leveled or decreased in some areas but continues to rise in others. - During the reporting dates November 22, 2005 through May 31, 2009, RMEP provided 720 presentations attended by 33,903 people, and 86 booth displays attended by 35,695 people. - Over 75 percent of the people surveyed after the RMEP presentation strongly agreed that their awareness regarding methamphetamine had increased. - Over 82 percent of the people surveyed strongly agreed that they would recommend the RMEP presentation to others. - Collaboration with Minot State University Chemistry department continues to explore lithium detection, effects of time and temperature on methamphetamine residual materials, effectiveness of swab detection methods for home testing, as well as the use of portable equipment for detection purposes. - Collaboration with Prairie Public Broadcasting, Inc. resulted in the production of a series of television and radio programs, outreach kits, video clips for presentations, and a website with downloadable content. - Continued presence in mentor communities throughout North Dakota will include community surveys in each mentor community. - Community surveys will assess perception of methamphetamine issues within the community and the perceived impact/benefit of RMEP's efforts within the community. - Expanding the use of digital medium to more effectively disseminate information within a rural state is one of the strategies to be explored. Details: Minot, ND: Minot State University, 2009. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 10, 2012 at http://www.minotstateu.edu/rcjc/pdf/RMEPFinalReportFY06.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.minotstateu.edu/rcjc/pdf/RMEPFinalReportFY06.pdf Shelf Number: 124299 Keywords: Drug UseMethamphetamine (North Dakota)Rural Crime |
Author: Walsh, Wendy A. Title: Understanding Child Abuse in Rural and Urban America: Risk Factors and Maltreatment Substantiation Summary: Using a large national sample of child maltreatment reports, this brief compares the outcomes of child maltreatment cases in rural versus urban places and identifies the characteristics associated with substantiation. Child abuse cases substantiated in rural and urban areas share many caregiver risk factors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, and many family stressors. Substantiation is equally likely across income levels; approximately one-fourth of cases in each income level are substantiated. However, when place is taken into account, a greater share (36 percent) of higher-income families (that is, families with incomes greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty level) in rural areas have substantiated maltreatment reports than in urban areas. Details: Durham, NH: Carsey Institute, 2012. 4p. Source: Issue Brief No. 50: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2012 at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/IB-Walsh-Child-Abuse-Substantiation.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/IB-Walsh-Child-Abuse-Substantiation.pdf Shelf Number: 125361 Keywords: Child AbuseChild Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentRural CrimeUrban Crime |
Author: Archbold, Carol A. Title: "Policing the Patch": An Examination of the Impact of the Oil Boom on Small Town Policing and Crime in Western North Dakota Summary: The "oil boom" that has taken place in western North Dakota over the past several years has positioned the state to have a budget reserve of more than $2 billion by the end of 2013 (Prah, 2012). Increased oil production has created thousands of jobs, which has contributed to North Dakota having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). It has been projected that the oil and natural gas industry in North Dakota will produce another 13,144 jobs by 2015 and an additional 15,840 jobs by 2020 (Energy Works North Dakota, 2012). While increased oil production has provided economic stability to the state, it has also created some challenges for western North Dakota. Steady oil production has resulted in rapid population growth for many communities located in the Bakken region. Williams County (ranked second) and Stark County (ranked fifth) in western North Dakota are included on the list of the ten fastest growing counties in the United States from 2011-2012 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). The rapid population growth has created problems with housing, schools, and roads in communities across the region (Governing the States and Localities, 2011). Various media outlets have also reported that police agencies in western North Dakota are struggling to keep rampant crime problems under control (CBS Minnesota, 2012; Ellis, 2011; Elgon, 2012). The problem with the information presented in media reports is that it consists of anecdotal information, not empirical research. The study presented in this report examines how the rapid population growth resulting from the oil boom in western North Dakota has affected policing and crime in the Bakken region. This study is important because it provides an empirical foundation for future research on rapid population growth, policing, and crime in western North Dakota. Details: Fargo, ND: Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science, North Dakota State University, 2013. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: www.ndsu.edu Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: www.ndsu.edu Shelf Number: 132225 Keywords: BoomtownsNatural Resources Policing Rural AreasRural Crime |
Author: O'Brien, Liz Title: Accessibility of Woodlands and Natural Spaces: Addressing Crime and Safety Issues Summary: If wild lands are defined as areas in which human influence is negligible and cities as areas entirely constructed and managed by humans, then these two form environmental extremes between which exist a multiplicity of open living spaces. These vary to a large extent by the degree of management and residence imposed by humankind. Perhaps in Britain few, if any, places can be considered truly wild, though there remain some places remote enough from major human influence to be considered close to wilderness. British environments are, almost invariably, managed ones. Rural areas are managed for aesthetic appeal, conservation, leisure, forest or agriculture while in urban areas management is geared more towards large-scale residency, leisure, commerce or industry. All have their place and purpose. Human population density increases between these rural and urban extremes. Alongside that, undesirable issues, such as crime, nuisance and litigious behaviour (for which the common denominator is people), also increases. These undesirable issues have generally occurred and perhaps still do, in greater frequency where population densities are highest. However, the increased availability of mechanised transport has greatly increased people's ability to travel, individually and in groups, such as to extend their powers of criminality and nuisance over everincreasing areas. It is this concern with crime and nuisance which brings issues of access to woodlands and natural spaces to the forefront of the thinking of a wider audience of responsible landowners in both the public and private sectors. The varied list of delegates to this seminar gives some indication of organisations for which these matters have relevance. There are moral and legal issues at stake, but no one can discount the economic issues, which increasingly burden all relevant organisations or individuals. At the same time, there is increasing recognition that deprivation of human populations from natural environments can have detrimental psychological, perhaps even physiological effects, depressing spirits and leading to increasingly manic, criminally dishonest and violent behaviour. Current research suggests that open spaces in urban areas need to retain some element of the natural to help offset such effects. These are the issues which have drawn together the varied organisations towards partnerships, hopefully made manifest and stimulated by this Accessibility seminar. Details: Farnham, UK: Forest Research, 2005. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fr0305_woodaccess.pdf/$FILE/fr0305_woodaccess.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fr0305_woodaccess.pdf/$FILE/fr0305_woodaccess.pdf Shelf Number: 132509 Keywords: Crime Prevention through Environment DesignForestsNatural ResourcesRural AreasRural Crime |
Author: National Rural Crime Network Title: The True Cost of Crime in Rural Areas: Report and Recommendations Summary: Our survey of over 17,000 people living and working in rural areas throughout England and Wales suggests the true cost of crime in rural areas could exceed $800m. This figure is 21 times higher than previous figures, dwarfing earlier estimates. The survey also indicates that hard-pressed young families and farmers are the most frequent victims of crime, with the average cost of those crimes to a household being over $2,500 and for a business over $4,000. Moreover, there appears to be a vicious circle of low expectations, leading to chronic under-reporting, anger, frustration and worry. The result is increasing fear of crime and significantly lower satisfaction levels in the police than the national average. As a consequence of these findings, we are making seven recommendations including fair funding for rural areas; more joined up working with partners and communities, building on rural resilience; embedding best practice; developing new policies and ways of working; and ensuring a more targeted approach within rural communities. The key survey results are: - Financial impact of crime on rural economy is significant - the cost of crime to rural communities is estimated to be $800 million equivalent to $200 for every household in the countryside. The average cost to rural households who are victims of crime is $2500 and $4100 for rural businesses. - Fear of crime is increasing - 39% of rural people are very or fairly worried about becoming a victim of crime, compared to 19% nationally. Even more worryingly, 32% of respondents are more fearful of becoming victims of crime than five years ago, compared to only 3% who are less fearful. Rural businesses are the most fearful of becoming victims of crime, with 51% very or fairly fearful, closely followed by younger families. - Low satisfaction rates of police performance in rural areas - just 39% of rural people rate the police as good (32.4%) or excellent (6.3%). Among rural businesses this figure was just 32%. Those figures compare to 63% nationally who think the police is doing a good job (53% Good and 10% Excellent), showing rural communities have a significantly lower satisfaction rate than their urban counterparts. - The survey showed satisfaction levels drop to just 23% when it comes to the rural public's perceptions of the police's ability to solve crime. - Crime is under reported in rural areas - more than one in four (27%) did not report the last crime of which they were a victim. This means Home Office figures of 294,000 rural crimes between April 2014 and May 2015 could be incorrect and the actual number of crimes could be as high as 403,000. - Rural communities are resilient - community spirit is clear to see in our rural communities. The vast majority feel they very or fairly strongly belong in their community, with 27% feeling that sense of belonging has increased in the last five years. 25% of people also felt that their community pulled together to improve their neighbourhood - Lessons for Local Authorities and other partners - two issues of greatest concern to the rural community were road safety (63%) - which the police play a crucial part in, but which they cannot resolve without working with partners - and fly-tipping, which is now a civil offence (61%). Details: Tavistock, Devon, UK: National Rural Crime Network, 2015. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 18, 2015 at: http://www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net/content/uploads/2015/09/NRCN-National-Rural-Crime-Sur...pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net/content/uploads/2015/09/NRCN-National-Rural-Crime-Sur...pdf Shelf Number: 136808 Keywords: Costs of CrimeCrime StatisticsCrime SurveyRural AreasRural Crime |
Author: New South Wales. Ministry of Justice Title: NSW Stock Theft and Trespass Review: Final Report Summary: This Review was announced by the Deputy Premier and Minister for Justice and Police on 25 February 2016 along with specific terms of reference. The scope of the Review - stock theft, rural trespass and illegal hunting - represents how intertwined these crime types are. Given this, a series of recommendations are proposed in this Report which address all three of these issues, as well as ensuring Police are appropriately structured, empowered and resourced for the particular challenges posed by rural crime. As Professor Elaine Barclay found in her 2014 Research into farm crime, while other types of crime are on a downward trend, rural crime is increasing and significantly underreported. It is also important to highlight that approximately 25% of NSW residents live outside Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Stock theft, rural trespass and illegal hunting are crimes of major concern to rural and isolated communities. These crimes can lead to significant economic loss for primary producers and rural communities, with one incident potentially leading to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in property theft and malicious damage, as well as the loss of future breeding potential. The impact of rural trespass and illegal hunting is also multiplied by opportunistic crimes which accompany these offences, such as firearm theft, diesel theft or animal cruelty. Recent reports, for example, suggest that more than 90% of stolen firearms in NSW being taken from rural areas. As many rural families live and work on the same property, such crimes can generate tremendous fear, as well as a sense of insecurity, and intimidation, due to being unable to control who is able to access their land. And police assistance, particularly in isolated communities, may be hours or even days away, especially if the nearest police station is not staffed 24 hours. The current Police response to crime in rural and remote communities was brought into question at every public consultation held over the course of the Review. It is apparent that the staffing of 24-hour stations is critical to the efficient policing of rural and remote areas right across NSW. Because of industrial agreements, police from smaller stations are routinely used to fill gaps in rosters at larger stations and officers in charge of stations are not appropriately empowered to determine the best policing response for their local communities. Such practices are starving rural communities of the police protection to which they are entitled. It is the opinion of this Review that addressing this issue should be the highest priority of the NSW Police Force. Hunting on private land using knives, dogs or bows continues to grow in popularity across NSW, perhaps fuelled in part by the lack of regulation of such activities, compared with the regulatory scheme in place for hunting with firearms. Often this hunting involves rural trespass. This lack of regulation does nothing to assist Police or the Department of Primary Industries to manage or control such behaviour. When rural crimes are prosecuted, the penalties issued are routinely far below both the maximum penalty and the quantum of the loss suffered by victims of such crime. Victims feel deep frustration that current penalties do not act as effective deterrents and suggest that magistrates and sometimes police officers do not appear to understand or appreciate the impact of such crimes. This Report will propose a number of recommendations aimed at addressing stock theft, rural trespass and illegal hunting. These include enhanced penalties for existing offences, an expansion of current regulatory requirements and significant changes to the way the NSW Police Force is currently structured to address rural crime. Key to addressing stock theft, rural trespass and illegal hunting is ensuring that police in rural and remote areas are engaged with their communities and are properly tasked and resourced to address these crimes. For a number of years, this does not appear to have been the case, most likely since police retreated to 'core business' and relinquished various extraneous duties undertaken on behalf of other government agencies which gave them regular contact with their communities. Current police transfer arrangements mean that police officers accept short-term postings to rural and remote areas, merely as a stepping stone to more desirable positions. Rural officers in non-24 hour stations are also often tasked outside their sectors and rural crime investigators are routinely tasked with jobs which have nothing to do with rural crime, such as child protection register visits. Police policies and structures also mean that if a call for assistance is received at night and/or to attend a remote location, police officers are supported by current policy in determining they should not attend alone, despite their possibly being the only police representative on duty in that sector. Whilst the intent behind this - to protect the safety of officers working in single units - is supported, consideration must also be given to the policing support made available to landowners dealing with trespassers and thieves, who may possibly be intoxicated and also armed. Although Police policies are intended to address both police and community safety, there is considerable confusion in relation to this area of policing, which was clearly expressed by stakeholders during the course of the Review. The content and findings of this Report reflect discussions with and submissions received from a range of different stakeholders, from government agencies, to industry bodies to residents of rural and remote communities. This Report is addressed to the Deputy Premier for his serious consideration. The recommendations made in the Report will, if implemented, greatly assist in empowering both police officers and victims of crime in addressing stock theft, rural trespass and illegal hunting. Details: Sydney: Ministry of Justice, 2016. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: http://www.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Media%20Releases/2017/final-report-NSW-stock-theft-and-trespass-review.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Media%20Releases/2017/final-report-NSW-stock-theft-and-trespass-review.pdf Shelf Number: 146923 Keywords: Cattle StealingCattle TheftIllegal HuntingRural Crime |
Author: Steinberg, Jonny Title: After the Commandos. The Future of Rural Policing in South Africa Summary: In February 2003, President Thabo Mbeki announced that the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) Territorial Reserve, popularly known as the Commandos, would be phased out. This phasing out process is now well underway. By the end of 2009, the last of South Africa's 183 Commandos will have ceased operating, their rural crime prevention and borderline control functions taken over by the South African Police Service (SAPS). The task of this monograph is to assess the rural safety capacity that will be lost with the closing of the Commandos, and to discuss the manner in which the SAPS will replace that capacity. To this end, we conducted fieldwork in the three Commando jurisdictions: Ladybrand in the eastern Free State, De Mist in Eastern Cape, and West Rand and Gatsrand Commando areas in Gauteng. Commando strength is uneven. In Ladybrand, for instance, commercial farmers are actively involved in a number of grassroots security initiatives, primarily in defence of their commercial property, but the Commando is a marginal player in these initiatives. Moreover, the farming community is deeply divided over how the borderline with Lesotho ought to be policed, and, by proxy, over the role the Commando ought to play in borderline control. The De Mist Commando in Eastern Cape, by contrast, is highly organised, has a large active membership, and a clear and uncontested rural crime prevention programme. It is the dominant player in rural crime prevention; most police stations in its jurisdiction invest the lion's share of their resources in urban policing. In the West Rand, there is a strong identification between white farmers and the Commando, primarily as a result of the Commando's competence in policing agricultural crimes. We ask whether the Commandos are representative of rural South Africa, and argue that they are not; their function is primarily to protect the property and interests of the rural middle class. This is not necessarily illegitimate. Rural South Africa is deeply divided, by race, by inequality, and by a great deal of history. Asking a security agency to bridge these divides is asking too much; security agencies can neither mend souls nor conduct projects of social engineering. A more pertinent question to ask is whether the Commandos can make an effective contribution to policing agricultural crimes while not invading the privacy and violating the dignity of other rural constituencies. We argue that when deployed inappropriately, Commandos can indeed be destructive of social harmony and wellbeing, but that when deployed correctly they are both effective and benign. Finally, we argue that the policing of agricultural crimes, and of the rural sectors of small town police stations more generally, is likely to deteriorate after the closure of the Commandos. However, we do not pretend to offer easy solutions to the problem. The matter is by its nature a difficult one. All police services exercise discretion in deciding which aspects of policing to prioritise. In the SAPS, this discretion is exercised primarily at a national level. Area and station level managers are given quantifiable crime reduction and police action targets to meet. At present, the highest priority crimes in the SAPS are contact crimes, and are attached to an annual crime reduction target of seven percent. This is a normative, value-laden decision, and a commendable one at that. In small town police stations, however, the policing of rural sectors will suffer as a result. Many of these stations straddle a sharp divide between urban and rural areas. Most contact crimes are committed in urban sectors. If and when the capacity contained in the Commandos is transferred to the police, area and station level managers are bound to transfer much of this capacity from the rural sectors in which it is now deployed to urban sectors. Not to do so would be to respond irrationally to their own performance indicators. Prioritising the policing of, say, aggravated robbery over sheep theft is not just understandable but commendable. The SAPS should be aware though that there are places where its existing organisational incentives might, unless checked, result in situations where agricultural crimes are almost entirely unpoliced. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2005. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Monograph Series, No. 120: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/120FULL.PDF Year: 2005 Country: South Africa URL: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/120FULL.PDF Shelf Number: 100558 Keywords: Agricultural CrimeCattle TheftRural AreasRural CrimeRural Policing |
Author: Burger, Johan Title: Violent Crime on Farms and Smallholdings in South Africa Summary: Farm attacks and farm murders are a contentious topic in South Africa. Claims have been made that the criminal attacks on farms are a deliberate form of white - specifically Afrikaner - genocide. But are farm dwellers and particularly white Afrikaans farmers the target? Or are these crimes part of a bigger picture of escalating brutal violence countrywide? Are statistics accessible and accurate so as to paint a true landscape of violent crime in rural South Africa? Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2018. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2018 at: file:///C:/Users/AuthUser/Downloads/policy-brief-115v2.pdf Year: 2018 Country: South Africa URL: file:///C:/Users/AuthUser/Downloads/policy-brief-115v2.pdf Shelf Number: 151550 Keywords: FarmsGenocideRural CrimeViolent CrimeViolent Crime Statistics |
Author: Harris, Katharine Neill Title: The Drug Overdose Epidemic: Not Just about Opioids Summary: The rise in opioid-related overdose deaths in the last two decades is widely regarded as an epidemic that originated with the overprescribing of prescription pain relievers in the late 1990s. But a research study published in the September issue of Science suggests that the opioid overdose crisis is actually part of a larger trend that started 40 years ago. In the study, researchers mapped drug overdose deaths in the U.S. from 1979 through 2016. The authors analyzed data from the National Vital Statistics System on 599,255 deaths in which the main cause of death was listed as accidental drug poisoning. The authors found that drug overdose fatalities have been increasing dramatically since 1979, stating that "this exponentially increasing mortality rate has tracked along a remarkably smooth trajectory for at least 38 years," suggesting that "the current wave of opioid overdose deaths may just be the latest manifestation of a more fundamental longer term process." Within this broad trend of steady growth, there is significant variation in terms of the specific drugs involved and the populations most affected by drug overdose deaths. Currently, the population most at risk for cocaine overdose is aging black males living in urban counties, while methamphetamine-related deaths skew toward white and rural male populations. For opioid-related deaths, age is a defining feature of variation in risk patterns. Deaths involving heroin and synthetic opioids are higher for people between the ages of 20 and 40, especially white males living in urban counties. In contrast, prescription opioid deaths are higher among those 40 to 60 years old, especially white females living in rural counties. Nearly every region of the country, except for the northern Midwest, has been a "hot spot" for drug overdose deaths in the last few years. Despite some limitations, this analysis provides strong evidence for the existence of a protracted drug epidemic that requires both immediate and long-term interventions. The finding that the relatively recent increase in opioid-specific overdoses may be a particularly intense manifestation of a more persistent problem implies that a major feature of the government response to opioid-involved overdoses - restricting the supply of prescription painkillers - does little to stem the overall uptick in drug-related fatalities. The fact that the increase in overdose deaths has remained constant despite varying trends for specific drugs also suggests that factors often thought to drive the overdose epidemic, such as a rise in drug use or an overabundant drug supply, are not sufficient explanations. Details: Houston, TX: Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, 2018. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 17, 2018 at: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/files/dc464f15/bi-brief-110118-drug-overdoseepidemic.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/files/dc464f15/bi-brief-110118-drug-overdoseepidemic.pdf Shelf Number: 153877 Keywords: Cocaine Drug OverdoseDrug UseMethamphetamineOpioid EpidemicOpioidsPrescription Drug AbuseRural CrimeSubstance Abuse |