'The impacts of rural crime are many and varied, and the Network believes that the scale, cost, social impact and other effects of crime in rural areas are underestimated, under-reported and not fully understood. Consequently, the Network is concerned with all crime and anti-social behaviour occurring in rural areas and recognises that the challenges and solutions are often different to those in cities and urban areas.

Rural crime includes problems typically associated with the countryside, such as wildlife and heritage crime, farm equipment and animal thefts. However, there have been very substantial increases in fraud and other scams, with criminals deliberately targeting isolated, vulnerable people.'