PFCC meets with rural community in roundtable talks to improve responses to hare coursing

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, spoke with Essex farmers and other members of the rural community this week in roundtable talks aimed at building a framework to tackle criminals hare coursing.

The Commissioner was joined by Chief Constable BJ Harrington of Essex Police with Essex Police's response to hare coursing discussed alongside all aspects of rural crime discussed at the meeting.

Rural crime has fallen overall in the last year, increasing a halving of incidents where machinery has been stolen, but there has been a marked rise in incidents of hare coursing.

Since August 2025 Essex Police have seized seven vehicles, issued seven Community Protection Notices (CPNs), and five Community Protection Warnings (CPWs), with 12 individuals dealt with.

The Commissioner was on hand to listen to all viewpoints, meet people affected by hare coursers and see first hand the damage that is done by such criminal activity.