Hare coursing - police statement

POLICE IN LINCOLNSHIRE have warned that they are cracking down on hare coursing this autumn. They are launching Operation Galileo to tackle and reduce the incidents of hare coursing across the county as the hare coursing season gets underway. A spokesman said that the force has always taken a proactive approach in dealing with this crime and this year sees the formation of a dedicated team to increase the capacity to respond to incidents and bring offenders to justice.

Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and sighthounds that chase the quarry by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. Informal coursing can be a true form of hunting and is often conducted to kill game or vermin, mainly for food, and occasionally as a form of gambling.

But in recent years, hare coursing has become a controversial issue with some regarding it as a cruel blood sport and others as a traditional activity that assists in the conservation of hare populations and tests the ability of sighthounds. Hare coursing has been illegal throughout Britain since the implementation of the Hunting Act in 2005 but continues in many areas. Reported incidents have seen a year on year increase, sometimes significantly so, the period from September 2008 to March 2009 showing a large rise on previous years with over 900 reported to police throughout Lincolnshire.

This trend continued with large numbers of reported incidents through the hare-coursing season October 2009 to February 2010, despite severe weather conditions. The season September 2010 to February 2011 saw an unprecedented rise with over 1,100 despite the severe weather conditions over Christmas 2010. Last year the season between September 2011 to end of March 2012 saw 1,092 incidents reported.

“During the hare coursing season, the number of incidents has increased each year", said Inspector Andy Ham. As well as being illegal, hare coursing causes disruption, inconvenience and alarm to members of our rural communities.

"Evidence shows that the type of people taking part are often involved in other forms of criminal activity and in the main come from outside of Lincolnshire, regularly as repeat offenders. Having a dedicated team will enable us to not only respond quickly to reports and calls from the public but it will also mean that we can improve the way in which we gather intelligence, monitor activities, patterns and locations, and consequently plan our policing activities and resources for maximum effect."

The newly formed Galileo Team will consist of a sergeant and six constables, one of whom will be the Force Wildlife Officer and one a dog handler. Local neighbourhood policing officers will still have responsibility for dealing with incidents when needed.

Inspector Ham urges everyone to contribute to the police’s ability to deal with offences by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity to them. “No one knows the countryside better than the communities themselves and they are best placed to notice unfamiliar people, vehicles and suspicious activities", he said. "Please contact the police to report these straight away. Ideally, take note of vehicle registrations, times and specific locations. However, even information such as the make, colour and direction of travel of vehicles can be extremely valuable to us, as every piece of information is like a piece of a puzzle and can help us to build up a picture of what the hare coursers are doing and where they are targeting."

ISSUED SEPTEMBER 2012