REPORTS of hare coursing in Essex have dropped by almost two-thirds in the past three years as the Essex Police Rural Engagement Team continues to target this cruel crime.
The team has worked closely with farmers and landowners in the past few years and has linked up with neighbouring forces to remove policing borders when certain tactics are used.
In the past couple of years, rural engagement officers and local officers have also joined up with the National Police Air Service to track and arrest offenders more easily.
The force received 130 reports of hare coursing in the year to 31 August 2024, compared with 169 in the 12 months to 31 August 2023 (a drop of 23.1%) and 349 reports in the 12 months to 31 August 2022 – a drop of 62.8%.
During the 2023/2024 hare coursing ‘season’, officers issued nine community protection warnings and two community protection notices – requiring the recipients to cease hare coursing and associated activity. Failure to comply is an offence. They also seized eight vehicles used for hare coursing.
Inspector Terry Jacobs says: “Word is getting out amongst hare coursers that Essex is an uncomfortable place to course or plan an event.
“Hare coursing is a crime, so, if you see it happening, call 999 because it is a rural emergency.
“If the police helicopter is available, the crew will assist officers on the ground to trace and track down suspects more easily. And we also have the use of a drone which can take aerial footage for us and also track suspects from the air.
“This, together with closer working with the Crown Prosecution Service and neighbouring forces, as well as landowners securing access to fields, makes it more difficult for hare coursers to evade justice in our county.”
Hare coursing involves hares being hunted down and ripped apart by the sighthounds, such as lurchers and whippets.
“Hare coursing is terribly cruel,” says Inspector Jacobs. “And organised criminal gangs get involved because big money can be made through betting at hare coursing events.
“So hare coursing is associated with threats and intimidation, which are aggravated by the isolation of the rural communities where it commonly takes place.”
Hare coursing also costs farmers and landowners a lot of money. The damage caused to fencing and hedges is expensive to repair, crops can be destroyed and yields may drop because it can take years for a field’s soil structure to recover from the impact of vehicles.
Inspector Jacobs adds: “Hare coursing has a detrimental effect on rural communities, which is why the Essex Police Rural Engagement Team takes all reports seriously and we encourage people with information to contact us about it.
“If you see hare coursers and poachers in action, keep yourself safe and never challenge them but do ring 999 and try to provide an accurate location – What3Words is very useful for this.
“And, if you have information about this type of criminal activity, please report it via our website at www.essex.police.uk/ro or ring 101.”
The force’s rural engagement officers work closely with farmers, gamekeepers and estate staff across Essex, which is 72% rural. They provide advice on how to prevent hare coursers from getting on to farmland and also offer more general agricultural crime prevention information.
Find out more at www.essex.police.uk/ruralcrime
What can I do to help?
If you see hare coursing taking place, ring 999 immediately and provide as much information as you can – for example, a What3Words location, a description of the people involved, vehicle registration numbers, vehicle descriptions and the location and direction of travel.
When the police give you a reference number, please put this and the day’s date into any WhatsApp groups you are a part of so that anyone in the area with information can ring police, who can link it to the same incident, if relevant.
However, it is very important that you don’t confront hare coursers or put yourself at risk.
If you see anything which you feel needs police attention, or you have information about a crime or criminal activity, always ring 999 if it is an emergency or a crime in progress.
Otherwise, you can report it online where you can also speak to an online Live Chat operator 24/7. Alternatively, you can ring 101.
You can also contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, online or by calling 0800 555 111.
For more information and advice on rural crime visit the Essex Police Rural Crime webpages at www.essex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rc/rural-crime
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