Rural Community Structure & Crime

Within the Scarborough District which is approximately 500 square miles, 400 square miles are rural, some extremely remote.

This remoteness leads to very close-knit caring communities where most residents know who their neighbours are, who their neighbours' relatives are, etc and can easily recognize a  stranger within their midst.

This closeness of community may take the form of the occasional turning a "blind eye" to a local who is a "known rogue" who might take the occasional rabbit, a deer or odd pheasant or two from a landowner - gamekeepers raise thousands of birds per year, so an odd one or two shouldn't make a difference; or would it?

In a small community, close-knit or otherwise, groups of young people or young adults committing acts of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and under-age drinking can have a dramatic effect on the lives of the Village or Villages. It is exacerbated particularly if those committing the ASB live within the Village (s) as the victims feel that there is "no escape" from the situation, which only leads to ill-will and inter-Villager feuding sometimes involving the parents.

These types of incidents can shatter communities as well as the lives of the victims. The usual reason given is that Villages don't have the facilities that Towns or Cities have; therefore the young people have nothing to do and become bored.

Providing positive activities for young people can have a marked effect - though of course it's not always easy to find volunteers to support such initiatives, nor is it easy to find funding!!

If a few rabbits, or an odd pheasant being taken or other offences such as drink-driving are committed within a small community, they take their toll and can even go as far as affecting Quality of Life for the residents involved.

Cumulative crime can have a devastating impact on a small Community, and in those instances can mean bankruptcy for a small-holder should a quad bike be stolen for example. Local "likely lads" may even turn to making threats towards someone who they feel can be intimidated within a small Community - rural crime should not be easily dismissed or discounted as there are some perpetrators who are very good entrepreneurs and easily diversify to take whatever is available!

Crime is not victimless; it can affect whole Communities and as such should be treated with a no-tolerance attitude.

No crime should go unreported, no matter how "innocent" it may firstly  appear - incidents should be reported immediately.

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