Setting the context: a brief overview of Scottish and international evidence of crime and policing in rural environments

Nick Fyfe

SIPR and University of Dundee

Scottish Government Urban/Rural Classification, 2009-20106 Fold Classification

Accessible areas are defined as those that are within a 30 minute drive time from the centre of a Settlement with a population of 10,000 or more, while Remote Areas have a drive time which is greater than 30 minutes.

Images from Scottish Government GI Science & Analysis Team, August 2010

Crime in rural Scotland: constructing a rural idyll?

Aspects of Neighbourhood Particularly Liked by Geographic Area, 2009-10

Experience of Neighbourhood Problems by Geographic Area, 2009-10(% saying they have personal experience of problem)

Perceptions of Safety When at Home Alone at Night by Geographic Area, 2009-10

Crime Victimisation and Perception of Change in Crime Rates Over Previous Two Years by Geographic Area, 2009-10

Understanding crime in rural areas: why we need to challenge the ‘rural idyll’

• Marginalises fear and anxiety;

• Obscures impacts of deprivation;

• Invokes notion of the ‘endangered countryside’

• Specificity of rural crime.

Rural policing: themes from international research

• ‘localistic’ rather than ‘legalistic’ and ‘problem-solving’ rather than ‘enforcement led’;

• public tranquillity vs private disorder;• entanglement of the private lives and public roles

of officers;• challenges around recruitment and retention;• the extended rural policing family.

Concluding comments: the opportunities of police reform

• Enhanced localism;

• Developing a rural policing agenda for policy, training and research.