Crime And Fear Of Crime

The study of crime and fear of crime in the countryside has much to offer rural as well as criminological studies. For one thing, greater attention on these issues will complement an otherwise urban geography of crime and will fill important gaps in existing knowledge. In light of recent ‘moral panics’ over increases in rural crime, such work would be timely and could provide important information on the nature and extent of rural crime. Further, such knowledge could have an applied benefit and assist in the development of policing strategies in rural places. However, it is essential that rural crime be studied from a rural perspective. There is a danger otherwise that comparisons with urban areas will lead to a philosophy of ‘less of a problem means that there is no problem.’

It is important to listen to the voices of rural people and how they live out their experience of rural crime. A wide range of voices should be listened to, not just those of dominant or hegemonic groups. In doing so, attention must be focused on the way in which rurality is socially constructed and how ideas of criminality and cultural threat form part of, or threaten, these ideals. In short, there is a need to assess the extent to which ‘fear of crime’ is bound up with cultural difference and is both informed by and impacts upon changing social relations in the countryside. It is important to understand these issues and the way in which they can lead to the exclusion of particular people and lifestyles in rural areas.

The recently published White Paper Our Countryside: the Future: a fair deal for rural England (detr 2000) continues the principles of partnership policing established under the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. This White Paper recognizes that cr...

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... being victim to these crimes may be very different. It is also clear that the study of Neighbourhood Watch and rural crime encompasses many social and political issues. Their closer consideration will reveal more about the nature of contemporary rural society and who is considered to be part of it, as well as evaluating how voluntary action continues to sustain the interests of certain rural residents.

This paper has attempted to offer an insight into crime concern felt by residents of a rural English village. Although it has provided an initial examination of voluntary response to crime in rural areas, it has focused on an isolated area where crime is below national levels; therefore conclusions should be taken with caution. It would be valuable to conduct research in other areas and, in particular, those deprived rural areas which suffer from higher crime rates.