The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, marking a decade of collaborative efforts to tackle crime affecting rural communities across Scotland.
Chaired by Police Scotland, the multi-agency partnership has spent the past 10 years addressing a range of issues including machinery, fuel and livestock theft, fly-tipping, equine incidents and heritage crime.
The milestone comes as SPARC reaches the first anniversary of its current three-year strategy, launched in June 2025. The strategy builds on partnership work which has contributed to a steady decline in reported rural crime incidents.
Figures show 1040 incidents were recorded in 2023/24, falling to 866 in 2024/25 and 545 in 2025/26.
Despite the reduction in reported incidents, the financial impact of rural crime continues to rise. The estimated cost reached almost £4.3 million in 2025, compared with £3.8 million the previous year.
Chief superintendent Gregg Banks said the partnership had grown significantly since its formation and was increasingly important in responding to changing criminal threats.
“I think the partnership has become much stronger over the last 10 years. There are more than 20 organisations involved, bringing a wealth of experience, information and skills to the table,” he said.
“At the same time, the way we live and work has changed. We see the global impact of events happening elsewhere in the world affecting rural communities here in Scotland. As a result, criminality has evolved too, and we're seeing much more organised crime operating in that space.
“For me, the benefit of SPARC is that holistic view of what's happening. It allows us to understand the challenges we face and put interventions in place that can hopefully prevent crime from occurring in the first place.”
Mr Banks said rural crime continued to have significant consequences for individuals, businesses and communities.
“Rural crime has a significant impact on individuals, families, businesses and the wider community. The financial loss impacts all of those working directly in local industry and can have far wider repercussions. The personal impact from certain crimes can be long-term and profound,” he said.
Drawing on his experience as commander for Lothian and the Scottish Borders Division, Mr Banks said partnership working helped provide a fuller picture of rural crime across Scotland.
“Farming isn't my background, but I regularly engage with people who have been victims of crime, whether that's livestock theft, machinery theft or other forms of rural offending.
“SPARC is incredibly valuable, not only in helping me understand what I'm seeing from a policing perspective, but also by providing independent advice and guidance. We know many rural crimes are under-reported, so while I have my own statistics that help build a picture, it's equally important to hear from partners. They add context and provide a more rounded view of what's happening across the country.”
He said the partnership's focus had increasingly shifted towards prevention.
“We've increasingly moved towards prevention, and that's where the real value lies for me. While policing will always have an enforcement role, the major benefit of the partnership is the ability to share information, share intelligence and work together to prevent crime from happening in the first place,” he said.
“Strong partnership working is making an impact. SPARC enables us to share information and intelligence, to proactively prevent crime, to educate the public and ultimately bring offenders to justice.
“But we can only work with the information provided to us. While reported incidents may have fallen, we believe some crimes, such as livestock worrying and rural theft, may be under-reported.
“I want to encourage anyone with concerns or information about rural crime to get in touch with us via 101, 999 if it is an ongoing situation, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Commenting on the anniversary, NFU Scotland's Tom French said rural crime was far from a victimless offence.
“Rural crime is not victimless. It affects livelihoods, mental wellbeing, animal welfare and business confidence. NFU Scotland remains committed to working closely with partners to ensure rural communities are properly supported and that crimes affecting agriculture are taken seriously,” he said.
Policy and public affairs adviser at Scottish Land & Estates, Nic MacLeod welcomed the continued collaboration.
“We hope to see this collaboration continue to grow, embracing innovation, strengthening partnerships and ensuring rural Scotland remains safe, resilient and thriving for the future,” he said.
Representing the legal sector, Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, highlighted the importance of joint working in securing convictions.
“COPFS values the critical role which SPARC plays in combating rural crime in Scotland. COPFS takes such offending extremely seriously and strategic thinking and partnership working is fundamental to ensuring that those who commit rural crimes are brought to justice through the courts,” he said.
The partnership says continued reporting of incidents and intelligence-sharing between agencies and rural communities will remain key to tackling crime across Scotland's countryside.
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