As NFU Mutual’s newly released Rural Crime Report 2025 receives widespread attention, it serves as a reminder that while some reductions in insurance claims have been seen, rural communities continue to face significant challenges. The insurance provider estimates that combined claims costs due to rural crime across 2023 and 2024 reached approximately £96.9 million.
It is in response to this challenge that Rural SafeGuard™ has been established. Developed by a leading risk management consultancy and member of the National Rural Crime Network, Optimal Risk Group, Rural SafeGuard™ aims to support rural security and resilience.
“The countryside has often been overlooked when it comes to coordinated security planning,” says Frank Cannon, Programme Director. “Through Rural SafeGuard™, we hope to provide rural residents with practical and proportionate ways to reduce opportunities for crime.”
Created specifically for the farmers, the programme aims to:
• Equip farmers with skills, knowledge and training needed to safeguard their people, property, and livestock from organised and opportunist crime.
• Be a trusted source of information to demystify the journey to create secure and low crime agricultural businesses whilst helping all to speak a common language around crime reduction initiatives.
• Work to improve farm defences and influence behaviours to increase resilience whilst reducing post-incident recovery time.
• Encourage new entrants in the farming and agricultural industry to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset to support our aims.
With all the recent surveys suggesting farmers continue to suffer from crime, and the fear of crime, this programme draws on proven security solutions used to protect other UK commercial sectors including retail, construction, transport, corporate, event management, and many more.
Rural SafeGuard™ is a leading example of how private security can work together with the police to help progressive British farmers develop a culture to withstand crime across our countryside.
Through security audits, training, recognition certifications for secure rural properties, and post-incident support, the programme is looking to build national rural resilience.
The Rural SafeGuard™ team is already active in the field, conducting proof-of-concept audits and gathering insight from farmers, insurers, and estate managers. The team is seeking direct conversations with farmers, landowners, and like-minded agricultural service providers to integrate findings and further improve the programme.
“This is about more than crime reduction,” says Cannon. “It’s about securing Britain’s food supply.”
If you think this might be of interest to you, as a farmer or as a potential partner, reach out to Frank Cannon at frank.cannon@optimalrisk.com.
