National Rural Crime Action Week 2025

Officers across Scotland supported National Rural Crime Action Week which began on Monday, 8 September, 2025.

Police in the Scottish Borders held an event at a farm in Coldstream on Wednesday, 10 September, where around 10 farmers were provided with SelectaDNA marking kits to help deter the theft of vital farming equipment.

Officers and partners in Aberdeenshire gathered at a farm on Tuesday, 9 September, which had been targeted by thieves who stole a trailer and quad bike. Those in attendance were given crime prevention advice and SelectaDNA marking kits.

From January 2025, over 17 regional and national rural events have been attended by officers from our National Rural Crime Preventions team who support local officers in delivering rural crime prevention advice direct to rural communities across Scotland.

Inspector Jordan Low, National Rural, Acquisitive & Business Preventions Team, said:

“Preventing, reducing and tackling rural crime is a priority for Police Scotland.

“We do this in collaborative manner and at a national level work closely with our partners from the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC). The latest three-year strategy, launched in June, focusses on crime prevention, education and innovation, in addition to increasing our intelligence sharing with partners to enable effective enforcement.

“National Rural Crime Action week is an important part of highlighting the work that takes place every day in our communities.”

Over 100 Police Scotland officers across the country have been trained in rural machinery theft and identification by the National Rural Crime preventions team.

Police Scotland in partnership with Vinchip have obtained handheld scanning devices now located throughout Scotland to enable the identification of marked stolen machinery and assist in its return to owners.

Metal Theft training has been developed in conjunction with partners to target areas where the theft of metal and cabling is prevalent and there will be a number of other ongoing initiatives throughout the year.

Inspector Low continued: “It can be perceived that rural communities are easy targets for criminals, however the work we are doing with our partners across Scotland is vital to help prevent crime and protect our rural areas. Be assured we will pursue offenders and take rural crime very seriously.”

For more information on SPARC, visit: https://scottishparc.co.uk/