Devon & Cornwall Police reveal new addition to help spread awareness of rural crime

Devon & Cornwall Police have revealed the newest, and slightly different, member of the South Devon Rural team, a John Deere 6110M tractor decked out in distinctive police livery.

The tractor has been loaned to the team at Devon & Cornwall Police free of charge until the end of September by local agricultural and turf dealership Masons Kings and will be soon seen across the region at agricultural shows and other events throughout the summer.

The Rural Affairs Team will use the tractor to raise awareness of the support Devon & Cornwall Police can give to those who are concerned and effected about issues such as agricultural plant theft, agricultural GPS theft, livestock theft and livestock worrying. The new addition is part of a wider effort from across the force to increase to community messaging within the rural areas of Devon and Cornwall.

Police Constable Clarke Orchard said, “A huge part of our job is to connect to and be visible in our rural and agricultural communities. We work with local police neighbourhood teams to tackle rural crime and anti-social behaviour anywhere in our counties. Whilst this vehicle won’t be used operationally, it will be seen at various shows across the region, sparking conversations with farmers, highlighting crime prevention strategies, and engaging with those who might not interact with police teams normally.”

Peter Endacott, Masons Kings General Manager “At Masons Kings we work very closely with all our farming customers and we are very conscious of security of the high value of equipment that is held on farms. We are pleased to be working alongside Devon & Cornwall Police, raising awareness and sharing best practices, and using the best technology to help secure customer assets.”