TEESDALE’S successful Ruralwatch system is being emulated across County Durham and Darlington.
Meeting for the first time since it was re-branded, which saw it change from Tees and Wear Farmwatch to Tees and Wear Ruralwatch, members heard how similar groups were being formed or re-established throughout the Durham Constabulary area.
The group held its annual meeting at Utass last week.
Insp Ed Turner, of Barnard Castle Police, said: “The NFU is really supportive now in terms of setting up and re-establishing forums like this around the force area – in Consett, Stanley, Derwentside. There is now a Coastalwatch that is coming together quite well across Peterlee and Seaham; all based on the many foundations that you set up here.”
He praised the successes of the year, which included the formation of social media groups to share suspicious movements and a transition from traditional radios to a mobile phone app-based system.
Insp Turner said: “We know the WhatsApp group and those forums are working very effectively now, and it has really been the backbone and made a lot of successes already.”
He added that police are looking at how they can share more detail about how they have reacted to information they have received through the WhatsApp groups.
He said: “We will try put more out there, because when you put information up, you should get that reassurance that we are doing what we can to target suspicious vehicles, etc.”
He paid tribute to the chairman of Farmwatch for the past 30 years, Peter Stubbs, and his wife Gladys whom he said had left a good legacy for the scheme to continue to grow.
Insp Turner added: “On behalf of Durham Police we are really pleased this forum exists – it is the envy of many other forces in the way it works.”
