International Journal of Rural Law and Policy

Rural-urban dynamics in the UK illegal puppy trade: Trafficking and trade in 'man's best friend'

Jennifer A Maher, Tanya Wyatt — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +1000

Recently, much attention has been given to the presence and increase of transnational crime, particularly focusing on online illicit markets. A seldom-explored aspect of transnational online illicit markets is the rural to urban flow of the illicit goods. This paper details research on the UK puppy trade, documenting the movement of puppies reared in irresponsible and/or illegal conditions in rural locations and then advertised online for the urban market. Through analysis of online advertisements in Scotland and expert interviews, a stakeholder survey, and focus groups across Great Britain, we document the rural-urban dynamic of an overlooked transnational illicit market, a market facilitated by neo-liberalism and speciesism. While estimates on the value of the trade are problematic, the snapshot of online sales in Scotland alone suggests a marketplace with an annual value of at least £13 million (17,680 puppies). The cost of animal suffering associated with this trade is incalculable. Awareness must be raised and regulatory enforcement improved to reduce suffering and stop transnational criminals from profiting. This rural-urban dynamic presents a global challenge and demands an international response.

The emergence of ungoverned space in the British countryside

Kreseda Smith — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +1000

Police and farmers in Britain have differing views on the effectiveness and measures of effectiveness of the policing of rural and farm crime. Farmers are increasingly feeling abandoned by the police while the police are trying to resource rural policing against a backdrop of budget cuts, inadequate strategic guidance and a lack of understanding of the impact of rural and farm crime.

To obtain information on issues about farm crime, interviews were conducted with Police and Crime Commissioners and Crime Prevention Advisors across four rural police forces in England. Interviews and focus groups were also conducted with farmers.

The research found that farmers have low levels of confidence in the police, which resulted from the police providing poor response and feedback on incidents. This in turn results in low levels of reporting of crimes by farmers. The police are dealing with increased demands with much lower budgets and few opportunities for specialist training. Combined with ineffective strategic responses and a lack of understanding of farmers’ situations regarding the impact of farm crime, the police are perceived as ineffective in deterring rural criminals.

This paper explores these policing issues and suggests the need to improve confidence among farming communities to encourage the reporting of farm crime, enabling a better understanding of the extent of farm crime in Britain.

A comparison of rural crimes in Australia (NSW) and South Africa

Willie Johannes Clack — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +1000

Rural criminology as a topic of scholarly study, neglected over the past two to three decades, has bounced into the spotlight, with claims now being made that rural criminology is receiving justified attention among the academic fraternity. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the major challenge facing two countries with different levels of development as identified by the United Nations Human Development Index. A predicament for rural criminology is that the world is not equal: rural crimes is researched in developed countries but not in developing countries. This paper compares the types and prevalence of agricultural crimes in Australia (NSW) and South Africa to determine whether significant differences or similarities exist.

Rural crime and law

Christopher J Bone — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +1000

This paper discusses the nature and extent of rural crime and suggested solutions to rural crime; providing the author’s opinion on mandatory sentencing, increased penalties, certainty of detection, and reduction of the profit motive. Particularly, the article discusses the issues of stock theft, abalone poaching, firearms offences, traffic offences, logging protest cases, pastures protection – legal principles, proposed solutions, practical issues. The article also touches on changes in law enforcement, technology and the administration of justice, as well as police interviews with suspects, DNA, video surveillance, domestic violence issues and women in courts.

The paper concludes with a description of the experiences of a magistrate who lived and worked in rural NSW, discussing issues that arise as a result of inevitable relationships with accused and others in the town.

Equal or unequal opportunities within the criminal justice system from a rural and regional perspective

John Nicholson — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +1000

Approximately a third of NSW criminal charges are dealt with in rural and regional courts. About a third of prisoners in NSW goals come from rural and regional NSW. However, resources – legal and therapeutic – available for rural and regional defendants do not match those available for offenders located in metropolitan areas. Twenty-one significant disparities are identified. Three sources of these disparities are also identified – court proceedings, geographical remoteness, and government failures. The majority of identified disparities, it is argued, is attributable to government failure. Recent changes to sentencing law and practices in the administration of sentences are looked at from a rural perspective and potential new and continuing disparities are identified. The limitations arising from the disparities to the exercise of judicial discretion with a rural setting are explained particularly with reference to sentencing.

NSW Police Force and rural crime

Geoff McKechnie — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +1000

Rural crime has a financial, emotional and physical impact on its victims, their family and the community. Often the victims are isolated, their livestock and equipment are extremely valuable and their rural properties are a family business handed down from generation to generation, with the families working hard and making large sacrifices to keep their business profitable and able to supply the greater community with quality produce.

The direction of the NSW Police Force towards rural crime has evolved over the past 70 years. The renewed focus and creation of the Rural Crime Prevention Team is a significant enhancement on our ability to target rural crime within NSW.

This article discusses the history of the NSW Police Force involvement in rural crime and, particularly, the approaches taken by the Rural Crime Prevention Team since December 2017