Upper Wharfedale Rural Watch (UWRW) are a group of volunteers who all live in the Upper Wharfedale area.
The group was formed in February 2019 when North Yorkshire Police held a meeting in relation to rural crime in the area. Since the Rural Watch formation and up to present day, due to the working practice between watch members and police there has been a significant reduction in crime in the area. Members of the Watch go out and work alongside the police on designated evenings when there are extra police in the area to stop persons and vehicles who may have been acting suspiciously.
The group formed a committee and began fund raising to provide equipment to members of Upper Wharfedale Rural Watch to enable them to be safe when out and about. This equipment includes radio’s (which are essential due to the phone signal being intermittent in a lot of the area that we cover), binoculars, torches and 2 Pulsar night vision cameras. The NFU funded the first batch of radios purchased along with some dashcams which have been used by police as evidence in some cases.
As well as preventing crime within the Upper Wharfedale area UWRW have been involved in the recovery of stolen quad bikes, motorbikes and other property. Poaching is a big problem in the area and members have assisted police in giving statements which have provided evidence to charge offenders. The rural watch have also assisted the police in locating vulnerable people that have gone missing in the Dales.
For the year 2021 – 2022 the crime figures show that crime in the area was reduced by half. Over the last 12 months the figures have remained the same.
The group are fundraising constantly to support the work and to provide the radios which cost £100 per month and to purchase equipment for any new members.
If anyone would like to make a contribution to the ongoing costs of the scheme these can be made to Upper Wharfedale Rural Watch, account number: 53128095 sort code: 01-07-93.