Officers stopped and searched 180 vehicles as part of an operation that focused on the theft of machinery.
These offences can have a significant impact on the businesses targeted from both the loss and replacement of the equipment taken, to the cost of temporarily reduced activity. 
During three days of action, the Rural Task Force were joined by neighbourhood and roads policing teams at Bainton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the lookout for stolen machinery and vehicles.
PC Josh Fawcett of our Rural Task Force lead the operation. He said: “Agricultural and plant vehicles are particularly vulnerable to theft, with assets sometimes stolen to order.
“The total cost of rural crime in 2020 is reported to be in excess of £43 million, with theft of agricultural vehicles accounting for £9.1 million.”
During the three days of the operation, one stolen trailer was recovered and another vehicle was seized, while a total of 14 traffic offence reports were also issued.
“Our region is home to many rural communities and we are passionate about protecting them against those who think they can carry out criminal activity there,” added PC Fawcett.
“The financial and emotional impact to rural communities from these types of offences can be severe. It’s not just the cost of replacing the equipment, but also the impact of temporarily reducing activities due to the equipment being stolen.”
For advice on rural crime prevention, visit our website here: https://www.humberside.police.uk/rural-crime