New police scheme to crack down on heritage crimes in Devon and Cornwall
- Published
Police are asking the public to help with a crackdown on damage to historic sites, monuments and artefacts.
Launched on Thursday, Heritage Watch is a national scheme, to be run regionally by Devon and Cornwall Police.
It is aimed at safeguarding 35,000 designated heritage assets in the two counties.
Earlier this month standing stone Men Scryfa in west Cornwall was damaged in a target of a suspected arson attack this month. .
PC Julian Fry, rural affairs officer for the force, said members would be encouraged to report criminal behaviour.
He added: "Heritage Watch is a scheme for landowners, custodians of heritage assets and people who live near heritage sites or are interested in the history and culture of Devon and Cornwall.
"It encourages proper reporting and sharing of information on crime or suspicious behaviour around our heritage assets."
He said scheme members would be advised on how to report crimes, receive invitations to crime awareness events and be notified of "heritage crimes or suspicious behaviour" in their area.
The scheme, run alongside Cornwall Community Watch Association (DACCWA) and Historic England, is free to join.
Heritage crime is any offence that harms the value of heritage assets and their settings, such as ancient archaeological sites, churches, historic shipwrecks, stately homes and castles.
It can include arson, criminal damage, theft, unlawful salvage from historic shipwrecks and the trade in illicit cultural objects.
PC Fry added: "Heritage crime often goes unnoticed, large numbers of heritage sites are extremely remote and rarely visited".
He said the project was about "getting a grip" on the scale of heritage crime across Devon and Cornwall.
- Published6 June 2023
- Published8 June 2023
