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North Wales Matters - Rural Crime · North Wales Matters with Andy Dunbobbin

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to North Wales Matters with me, Andy Dunbobbin, and
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: today we are recording from the Anglesey Show. Now we
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: know agriculture is at the heart of North Wales and
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: our farmers face unique challenges, whether that be rural crime
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: and theft or the growing threat of cybercrime affecting farming livelihoods.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Today we're joined by representatives from NFU, FUW, North Wales
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Police Rural Crime Team and North Wales Police's Cyber Teams.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: to discuss the issues affecting our farming communities and what
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: can be done to keep farms and businesses safe. So
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: my question to the NFU and FUW is, when I
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: speak to your members, what are the biggest concerns that
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: they raise with you? And what's happening, what's quite prominent
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: at this moment in time? Yes, it's a timely question.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: I think the biggest concerns from a crime point of
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: view with our members is.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: Obviously the very fact that we all live and work
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: in rural.
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: Wales, rural North Wales.
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: And when there is an incidence of crime on the farmyard,
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: be it theft or whatever it's that feeling of violation
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: because not only are they stealing within the business but
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: this is their home as well so you know it
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: just makes people feel so much more vulnerable if it
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: was a factory in town I mean yes it's breaking
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: in your business purposes but it doesn't affect you or
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: your family directly but when they break in and steal
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: things from the farm This is our home, this is
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: where we live in, where we work in, of course,
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: but it's just that complete feeling.
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: Of violation that somebody's.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: Come on farm, been on their property, and it's that
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: close to your family as well.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: It's really, really personal, and I understand that. Can I
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: put back the same thought as well, please?
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: Well, I concur with Paul there, and Paul refers to
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: the theft from the house or the yard, but you
• 2:14
  Speaker 4: also have the.
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: Theft of livestock or the mutilation of livestock by dogs
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: or what have you, it was a bit more of a,
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: well that's just as personal if not more so, you
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: know what I mean, it's distressing as well when you
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: see livestock that have been mutilated by stray dogs or
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: what have you.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: So we're just come onto the rural crime scene, is
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: that the trend then, the livestock or is anything else,
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: is there like the other criminal activity going on?
• 2:46
  Speaker 5: The other criminal activity going on is, of course, we've
• 2:49
  Speaker 5: got a problem now with hair-coursing.
• 2:50
  Speaker 6: That's become a big problem, as we've been discussing this earlier.
• 2:54
  Speaker 5: Gangs commute onto land, onto people's property, like we mentioned,
• 2:58
  Speaker 5: and chasing the hairs, which leads to other crime as
• 3:03
  Speaker 5: well being committed on the farms. It seems to be
• 3:06
  Speaker 5: a big trend now, especially in North Wales, and mid-Wales
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: as well, where we are travelling, so the hair-coursing... competitions
• 3:16
  Speaker 5: as they call them and I don't know if you're
• 3:20
  Speaker 5: aware of are your members reporting to you as well?
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah certainly in South East Wales.
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: Has been a huge problem.
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: We've raised that awareness in that particular area but obviously
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: it's now obviously becoming a problem not only in North
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: East Wales but it is encroaching more westwards to the
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: more rural areas and that really is a problem because
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: even when this sometimes it happens live if you will
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: and the farmer will always go up and try and
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: approach but the the criminality and the the threatening behavior
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: of these people puts another perspective on this so you
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: know it's it's uh again these are people's homes let
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: alone businesses so at.
• 4:09
  Speaker 5: Least onto the things as well doesn't it though problem
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: is type of maturity leads on to the theft of
• 4:15
  Speaker 5: things from the property. Livestock being attacked as well, being
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: chased and attacked and killed. It's just becoming a big
• 4:24
  Speaker 5: problem now.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: Even with, we're talking about the machinery, there'll be fuel
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: being stolen, I'd imagine.
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  Speaker 6: Yes.
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  Speaker 4: Especially recently with the kind of high value red diesel
• 4:34
  Speaker 4: has going into the situation.
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  Speaker 3: It's not cheap.
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  Speaker 1: The price of things, it's a really difficult time for
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: the for everybody, in particular those in our work.
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  Speaker 3: I really want to probe that a bit further.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: There's that physical side of things where you're having that loss,
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: but to talk about the emotional effects it has on
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: your members, on the community as well, because it spills
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: over there, and I'd like to come back to that question.
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: How does that feel?
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  Speaker 7: As we mentioned before, I think the old-fashioned value of
• 5:09
  Speaker 7: trust in rural areas it's gone um you know a
• 5:15
  Speaker 7: minority probably as farmers bigger farms coming on now so
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  Speaker 7: yeah the trust that used to be in rural.
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  Speaker 8: Areas you know within any kind of family or business
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  Speaker 8: uh is eroded now it's a different kind of society
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  Speaker 8: now and yet times are hard for lots of people
• 5:31
  Speaker 8: but um it's still hopefully there is a trust there
• 5:35
  Speaker 8: especially with.
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  Speaker 5: Livestock and the cost of livestock i think as well
• 5:38
  Speaker 5: so much isn't it you know people you have to
• 5:40
  Speaker 5: the amount of money you have to plough into the livestock,
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  Speaker 5: the cost of feed, the cost of getting the hay
• 5:47
  Speaker 5: and things in as well.
• 5:48
  Speaker 6: Well, they're high value as well.
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  Speaker 4: You know, sheep rustling is quite, cattle rustling even now
• 5:53
  Speaker 4: is quite relatively common, you know, because of the high
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: value on the meat.
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  Speaker 3: And it puts a lot of pressure, a lot of
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: stresses as well.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: So, I know there's been more made of mental health.
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: You know, in all the communities, which is really.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: pleased to see a dev here and the DPJ are
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: also here at the shop. How have any of you
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: dealt with them and how are you finding their support
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: when it comes to need it?
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  Speaker 3: I think it's a sad reflection on our industry.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: That we now see more than ever so many mental
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: health charities within the industry and dedicated to the industry. Now,
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: thank God for them. Of course, they play a vital role. But,
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: you know, 10, 15 years ago, they might have been
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: one or maybe two. But the fact now we have
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: four or five farming charities that are dealing increasingly with
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: more and more mental health challenges is a sad reflection
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: on what.
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: The industry and the people working within it are going
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: through and are feeling.
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  Speaker 2: Farming's historically always been long hours, work hard, usually in isolation,
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: but obviously something's changing where it's now having a detrimental
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: effect on our members, that it is coming to a
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: point where it's becoming a mental health problem.
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: And it's not only in the older generation.
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: We are seeing time and time again our younger generation
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: now caught up in this. it's hard enough as it is,
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: but when you are the victim of crime, it is
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: the very last straw sometimes.
• 7:40
  Speaker 9: And, you know, it's just enough to flip you over.
• 7:42
  Speaker 4: I think it follows on what my colleague said about
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: lack of trust. You know, the, the, the community is,
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: because we're fewer in number, you know, the deaths of us,
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: you know, we all remember the time when, when neighbors
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: would come together, um, either to, uh, you know, help
• 7:57
  Speaker 4: each other with the harvest, whatever. And also markets, they've,
• 8:01
  Speaker 4: you know, there's, there's less activities in the calendar that
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: brings farmers together or with their fellow farmers. So I
• 8:08
  Speaker 4: think the lack of kind of, the isolationism is what
• 8:11
  Speaker 4: Paul says. You know, it just makes it, I think
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: the job has become more individual, isolated over the last
• 8:19
  Speaker 4: kind of generation or two.
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: Well, I know some of the farmers I've spoken to
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: and how they try and support each other by the
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: use of, use of technology and using WhatsApp and those
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: sort of things. But even them can have vulnerabilities within that.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: So cyber security is becoming more and more aware for
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: our rural communities as well. The use of technology is
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: always on the increase now. We see it, especially with
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: AI and everything else that's going on, which will make
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: things hopefully better. So I'd like to bring in Demi
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: there from the cyber team. How important is it for
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: our rural communities to be cyber aware?
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  Speaker 6: Well, it's key, isn't it?
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  Speaker 9: Farming involves more and more technology these days. As we've
• 9:11
  Speaker 9: just mentioned there, more and more apps and so on
• 9:15
  Speaker 9: are used to keep in touch and to communicate and
• 9:18
  Speaker 9: stuff like that. And really our team's key message is
• 9:21
  Speaker 9: really that securing your farm in 2026 now doesn't stop
• 9:26
  Speaker 9: at the farm gates.
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  Speaker 3: You know, you need to secure your online digital world
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: as well.
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  Speaker 9: You know, that's why we're working closely with the Office
• 9:33
  Speaker 9: of the Police and Crime Commissioner, with NFU Cymru, with
• 9:37
  Speaker 9: FUW at the Royal Welsh shows, at the county shows. And,
• 9:41
  Speaker 9: you know, we've got work that's coming up throughout the
• 9:43
  Speaker 9: year to try and raise that awareness that, yes, securing
• 9:46
  Speaker 9: the farm physically and the livestock and machinery is important.
• 9:50
  Speaker 9: but we need to be looking at cyber security as well.
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  Speaker 9: Up to 50% of all crime in England and Wales
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  Speaker 9: now is fraud and cyber crime. So when you think
• 10:00
  Speaker 9: of it like that, fraud or cyber crime is probably
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  Speaker 9: the most likely type of crime that any farmer or
• 10:08
  Speaker 9: anybody involved in the agricultural industry.
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  Speaker 6: Is either going to become a victim of or is
• 10:13
  Speaker 6: going to.
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  Speaker 3: Be targeted by.
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  Speaker 9: And the same impact applies. We've touched upon the mental
• 10:19
  Speaker 9: health implications of becoming a victim of crime. The same
• 10:22
  Speaker 9: applies to, you know, somebody being scammed or something like that.
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  Speaker 9: You know, the farmers will have worked hard on the
• 10:29
  Speaker 9: family farm for generations, you know, and a click or
• 10:32
  Speaker 9: a scam, you know.
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  Speaker 6: Could lead to losing.
• 10:36
  Speaker 9: That family business or putting that family business in jeopardy.
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  Speaker 9: So it's vitally important really in this day and age.
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  Speaker 9: And we're not saying that the farming community or the
• 10:46
  Speaker 9: agricultural community or rural communities are being targeted more than
• 10:50
  Speaker 9: anybody else.
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  Speaker 3: You know, the cyber criminals will target every industry.
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  Speaker 9: They don't care if you live in rural Wales or
• 10:57
  Speaker 9: if you live in a big city, they'll target everybody.
• 11:00
  Speaker 9: But it may be the case that, you know, some
• 11:02
  Speaker 9: of the farmers and maybe the wider agricultural industry aren't
• 11:07
  Speaker 9: maybe quite as aware of the risks and threats Because
• 11:11
  Speaker 9: of things like, you know, if you worked in an
• 11:13
  Speaker 9: office or if you worked for a big organisation, you'd
• 11:17
  Speaker 9: probably get regular training on cyber threats and stuff like that.
• 11:21
  Speaker 9: You know, how to recognise a phishing message, what strong
• 11:24
  Speaker 9: passwords should look like. You know, for a farmer working
• 11:27
  Speaker 9: on the family farm, as you mentioned, the long hours
• 11:30
  Speaker 9: working hard up early with the animals, up early.
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: You know, with the machinery on the fields.
• 11:35
  Speaker 6: Working hard all day in the sun.
• 11:37
  Speaker 9: You know, later on in the evening then, coming in
• 11:40
  Speaker 9: after a long, hard day's work and thinking, I've got
• 11:42
  Speaker 9: to switch on this computer, you know, I've got to
• 11:45
  Speaker 9: deal with things, you know, a lot of farmers maybe
• 11:47
  Speaker 9: are forced to go online now with various changes and
• 11:50
  Speaker 9: stuff like that. You know, and so after a long,
• 11:53
  Speaker 9: hard day, when they're tired, they don't really want to
• 11:55
  Speaker 9: be doing this, but they're switching on their laptop, they're
• 11:58
  Speaker 9: dealing with emails, they're logging into things to make applications,
• 12:01
  Speaker 9: they're paying invoices. And when you've had a long day,
• 12:04
  Speaker 9: when you're tired, when you don't really want to be
• 12:07
  Speaker 9: doing it because actually you want to get to bed
• 12:09
  Speaker 9: for another start tomorrow, that's when you're most likely to
• 12:12
  Speaker 9: get caught out.
• 12:14
  Speaker 6: So it's a really important message, really.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: Thanks, David.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: I think as well, when it comes to that point
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: when a crime has been committed, I'm really interested in
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: putting the questions of the global crime team in there.
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: But when officers attend, do you see that impact there?
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: What's being described here, do you see that impact on
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: our farming?
• 12:34
  Speaker 6: Definitely yes.
• 12:35
  Speaker 5: We turn up at a farm where they've lost their
• 12:38
  Speaker 5: livestock to be stolen. It's a massive impact on their financial.
• 12:44
  Speaker 5: People are really upset and they're keen to.
• 12:47
  Speaker 6: Catch who the criminals are.
• 12:49
  Speaker 5: We have to get the evidence in to be able
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: to catch these people.
• 12:54
  Speaker 6: That's why we go around and.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: Encourage people to put smart water on their property, on
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: their chainsaws and.
• 12:59
  Speaker 6: Things, to prevent that these things happen. It's more of
• 13:02
  Speaker 6: a preventative thing, I think, to see the signs.
• 13:23
  Speaker 5: See that things have been marked up properties been marked
• 13:26
  Speaker 5: so yeah it's a massive impact on when we turn
• 13:28
  Speaker 5: up there and um.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah it's devastating as well it all comes down to
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: coming back down to community and sort of supporting each
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: other yes but it's like but we the police they
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: need the public support as well so reporting any type
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: of suspicious behavior or things like that can really make
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: part of that That big a picture, can't it?
• 13:51
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 13:52
  Speaker 5: It's so important that people do report everything that happens
• 13:55
  Speaker 5: to the police, especially to the rural crime team. That's right,
• 13:59
  Speaker 5: it's so important to have a rural crime team in
• 14:02
  Speaker 5: North Wales. So there's a point of contact, because people
• 14:04
  Speaker 5: know who to contact if they can't get through to
• 14:07
  Speaker 5: the police or whatever, or they prefer maybe to contact
• 14:11
  Speaker 5: a rural crime.
• 14:12
  Speaker 6: Team officer, somebody who they know from.
• 14:14
  Speaker 5: The markets or from the shows or from us going
• 14:17
  Speaker 5: round the farms. There's a point of contact for people
• 14:22
  Speaker 5: within the police within North Wales. They might not realise
• 14:25
  Speaker 5: the crime's happened for weeks or months.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: Sometimes it can take a really long time. We've seen
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: what happened with Mick's cattle. He got cattle on the island,
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: wasn't he? And we see all that talking to go
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: through the criminal justice process.
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: Then as well. It's not as quick as we'd like,
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: but at least we've seen a positive outcome at the end.
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: Isn't it?
• 14:45
  Speaker 5: In rural counties, it's a very difficult crime to detect
• 14:49
  Speaker 5: because over a length of time like I mentioned two
• 14:52
  Speaker 5: or three weeks or three months since the actual offence
• 14:56
  Speaker 5: but at least you know if it's reported as soon
• 14:59
  Speaker 5: as possible there's a chance for us then to detect
• 15:02
  Speaker 5: these crimes through CCTV or through witnesses that sort of
• 15:05
  Speaker 5: thing that's why early reporting is crucial as soon as
• 15:09
  Speaker 5: possible when a crime has taken place.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: So I think the key thing there is that trying
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: to prevent it isn't it so Paul what things have
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: you seen any sort of preventative measures that have made
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: a real difference with your.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Members yeah well I'm glad to say that I've got
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: one of those posters on the top of my lane
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: now you know even if a little thing like that
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: might make a criminal think twice then you know that's
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: a very easy win.
• 15:39
  Speaker 10: We you know we encourage all our members to do
• 15:44
  Speaker 10: whatever they can obviously lock up your quads at night
• 15:48
  Speaker 10: and think don't keep keys in your pickups.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: But having said that, we have a vast array of
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: machinery on farm. You will inevitably never be able to
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: lock everything up. So there will always be that sort
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: of vulnerability.
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: But I think.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: Also there are local initiatives that we can do.
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: We've talked about technology.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: Most farms now are in local WhatsApp groups.
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: So if somebody does actually see a.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: Suspicious vehicle or some suspicious activities, that will be on
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: the local WhatsApp group and that will be cascaded.
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: So that is certainly one good thing and that should
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: be encouraged as well. Little things.
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: You're never going to have a 100% theft-safe farm or
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: criminally attractive farm.
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: So it is difficult, but there are little things that
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: we can do. And the same for the FUW?
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: Well, yeah, you know, we publicise to members that, you know,
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: they should be aware, take precautions. Prevention is always better
• 16:53
  Speaker 4: than cure, isn't it?
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: Of course, yeah.
• 16:54
  Speaker 6: You know what I mean?
• 16:55
  Speaker 4: So, yes, you know, you'd be surprised how many farmers
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: still don't leave their keys in the tractors still.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: You know what I mean?
• 17:02
  Speaker 4: It's simple things like that.
• 17:04
  Speaker 6: You know what I mean?
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: Maybe it's like a cultural thing as well, to be honest.
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: I'm up in the morning. Could you explain that to
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: me from your perspective? Yeah, he's explaining a long, tiring day.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: You've got something else on your mind. You just exit
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: your vehicle and nothing more of it. I've got to
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: do that now before I'm going to bed. And then
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: it happens. But that's the pressure of the job.
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: That's right. And these things, it's not talked about often enough,
• 17:33
  Speaker 3: is it, really, about that?
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: No, no, no.
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: And this is about really... I'm pleased that you've all
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: agreed to do this podcast. It's unfortunate, you know, you
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: don't wake up to the fact sometimes that it's happened.
• 17:40
  Speaker 8: Well, then you make me more cautious then, but it'd
• 17:43
  Speaker 8: rather not happen.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: So this is sort of segwaying in quite nicely into
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: what I want to try and probe a bit further about,
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: although we're here representing different organisations, but we're all working
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: together here, aren't we? And we're having a really good
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: conversation about how we can support each other. So how
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: important do you think that is? for our rural communities
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: as a whole. We're going to the politics first.
• 18:08
  Speaker 5: We work very closely with the FEW and a few
• 18:11
  Speaker 5: other farming organisations within the markets, the farmers' markets. We're
• 18:16
  Speaker 5: very visible within these markets and with the unions as well,
• 18:19
  Speaker 5: especially these shows are so important so we get the
• 18:22
  Speaker 5: message over to show what we are doing and who
• 18:26
  Speaker 5: the contacts are for people to get in touch with.
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: So it's very important that we keep contact We go
• 18:31
  Speaker 5: to FUW and LFU every week in Llangemnie. I go
• 18:35
  Speaker 5: to Llangemnie, my colleagues go to Wrexham and all other
• 18:39
  Speaker 5: different offices to keep contact, see what the problems are
• 18:42
  Speaker 5: within the community.
• 18:44
  Speaker 6: So we have to keep that close, close contact with
• 18:46
  Speaker 6: the unions.
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: That's great.
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: And we'll move on to your book on the FUWM.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: Just about how important that collaboration between all the ages is.
• 18:56
  Speaker 6: It's essential really, isn't it?
• 18:59
  Speaker 4: That we all talk and trust each other and and
• 19:03
  Speaker 4: as Paul says you know we just you know warn
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: your neighbours if you see something you know what I
• 19:09
  Speaker 4: mean that's the so you know you might not have
• 19:12
  Speaker 4: seen the car registration but your neighbour might might see
• 19:15
  Speaker 4: it down the road as it passes and pass that on.
• 19:18
  Speaker 5: To that very little piece of information could be vital
• 19:21
  Speaker 5: you know it's just you know just you know a
• 19:23
  Speaker 5: white van oh it's a white van so we're looking
• 19:25
  Speaker 5: for a white van then yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: And you Paul, and then we'll wrap it all up
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: with how important technology can play a part in assisting
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: that as well.
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, unfortunately I go back quite a long
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: way with the NFU and I was very proud to
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: be part of the setting up of the rural police
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: team here in North Wales way back when.
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: And by now.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: which is a fantastic thing we have members down in
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: South Mid Wales now that are actually wanting to come
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: up to North Wales with us to see.
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: How the North Wales rural policing team works.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: This has been a very long process but we now
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: have farmers who.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: Actively seek the members of the rural policing team in
• 20:09
  Speaker 3: our markets. They know them by name. By now, I'm
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: sure they'll know the families as well. We farmers like
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: to know who's who. Yeah, absolutely.
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: But I think having that visual presence is very reassuring
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: to farmers and having a contact point that they can
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: always go to specifically with a rural problem. We can
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: all ring one or what, But, you know, now that
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: we have a face and a name and a card
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: that we can bring.
• 20:39
  Speaker 6: It's all about building trust, isn't it?
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, yeah. Trust, confidence, sharing of information. Really, really, really important.
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: I'd like to bring in you, Debbie, as well.
• 20:48
  Speaker 9: Yeah, well, I think that evening, for example, that we
• 20:50
  Speaker 9: held in Ruffin about a couple of months ago, wasn't it,
• 20:53
  Speaker 9: for the farming community and agricultural industry, you know, was
• 20:58
  Speaker 9: an excellent example of working together. The officer of the
• 21:01
  Speaker 9: Police and Crime Commissioner were there We were there, the
• 21:03
  Speaker 9: World Crime Team were there, we had representatives from NFU
• 21:06
  Speaker 9: Cymru and FUW there.
• 21:08
  Speaker 3: Both the farmers' unions invited us to.
• 21:11
  Speaker 9: The Royal Welsh Show and we worked with them down there.
• 21:14
  Speaker 9: Both the farming unions have shared their Cyber Security for
• 21:17
  Speaker 9: Farmers video that we've recently created with Nigel Owens, who's
• 21:22
  Speaker 9: now obviously a farmer himself, isn't he? So it's about
• 21:25
  Speaker 9: raising awareness but working together because the the members, the farmers,
• 21:30
  Speaker 9: they'll trust their union, they'll trust the rural crime team now,
• 21:34
  Speaker 9: you know, so it's working together and as well, you know,
• 21:36
  Speaker 9: having that confidence to report because we were talking about
• 21:39
  Speaker 9: reporting rural crime, it's the same with cybercrime. Research suggests
• 21:44
  Speaker 9: that only about 13% of fraud and cybercrime is actually
• 21:47
  Speaker 9: reported to the police, but the more that's reported, the
• 21:51
  Speaker 9: better the awareness for us, but then what we can
• 21:53
  Speaker 9: do is we can spot trends and we can get
• 21:55
  Speaker 9: in touch with the unions and we can let them know,
• 21:58
  Speaker 9: you know, we've seen this being a common trend, the
• 22:02
  Speaker 9: targeting farmers, so then the words can be sent out
• 22:05
  Speaker 9: to kind of warn the farmers of what we're seeing
• 22:07
  Speaker 9: and stuff like that. So the partnership working in all
• 22:10
  Speaker 9: those areas is crucial really, you know, and we've seen
• 22:13
  Speaker 9: obviously technologies, some capabilities that our team have helped with
• 22:17
  Speaker 9: some of the investigations that the real crime team have
• 22:20
  Speaker 9: done where we can maybe do some kind of online
• 22:24
  Speaker 9: stuff to track criminals and stuff like that. So Technology
• 22:27
  Speaker 9: is vital and partnership working.
• 22:30
  Speaker 6: Is certainly key.
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: Right, thank you to all of our guests today. Thank
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: you so, so much.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: It's clear that keeping our rural communities safe relies on
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: strong partnerships between farmers, farming organisations, police and cyber security experts.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: Whether it's reporting suspicious activity, improving farm security or protecting
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: your business online, every action helps make a difference.
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: Thanks for listening. I've been Andy Dunbobbin and this is
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: North Wales Matters.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: See you next time.