15
Aug
2017
By Calvin at 13:23 GMT, 6 years ago
I’m currently researching certain types of rural crime for the new rural crime section on my website and so have been interested to read about the sorts of crimes that are going on in our countryside.
Apparently it’s the time of year when the illegal and cruel ‘sport’ of hare coursing starts to raise its ugly head. In response, Herts Police are introducing additional and targeted patrols to catch the offenders. Hare coursing, which involves the chasing of a hare with a hound and which usually results in the hare being killed has been illegal since 2005. It tends to increase during harvesting as the fields are cleared of their crops. The criminals involved in this cruelty will also be the same people who regularly trespass onto private land, damage crops and steal property. They can also be aggressive and intimidating to those who challenge them.
These additional patrols are part of Operation Galileo, which sees other police forces in the east of England teaming up to defeat the rural criminals. Any information and intelligence they might gather is then shared with the National Wildlife Crime Unit
Herts police have asked the public to be on the lookout for people who they think are engaging in or planning to engage in hare coursing. Please call 101 with your suspicions or 999 if you see hare coursing in progress.
Those convicted of hare coursing can be fined up to £5,000, disqualified from driving and imprisoned.
