Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 86
life
EQUESTRIAN
Country
Watch
PCSO Sophie Iles
Many people who live in rural communities
feel vulnerable and isolated and if they report
an incident there is apathy in the service they
receive. Country Watch offers farmers, game
keepers and landowners support and contact.
Sophie Iles is a Police
Community Support officer
based at Yarmouth. She arrived
on the island 10 years ago and
has lived on a smallholding
with sheep, pigs and horses
for that time. Due to this
background she volunteered
to take on the role of Country
Watch Officer. In addition to
this, Sophie does have a beat
which she patrols covering
Rookley, Arreton, Chillerton,
Shorwell and Merstone area.
Country Watch brings together
farm watch, horse watch and
rural neighbourhood watch
aiming to improve the contact
with Hampshire Constabulary.
Sophie hopes to reassure
the rural community that we
understand their struggles
and will take all their concerns
seriously. If a problem is
identified, she will have support
of the safer neighbourhoods
team and response team in
resolving them. The members
have also been given several
points of contact, so if
something is or has happened
on their land, they are able to
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advise the police at the earliest
opportunity. Over the last
four months Sophie has been
visiting farms in the West Wight,
filling out a short membership
form and marking out the
land boundaries on a map.
She aims to cover as many as
possible over the next three
months so look out for her!
Every year horses and
equine equipment are stolen
from Hampshire. Not only is
this property expensive, the
sentimental value cannot be
quantified. Specialist thieves
target stables and other rural
premises where they know
security might not be as tight
and where it is less likely
someone will be around.
We are lucky on the island
that the stretch of water has a
noticeable effect on our crime
figures. However, it is always
a good idea to follow crime
preventative measures. The
key to preventing the theft
is to make things as difficult
as possible for thieves.
Freeze marking is essential,
as it is a highly visible
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