Derbyshire appoint new wildlife crime co-ordinator
Tuesday, 01 July, 2008
A new Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator has joined Derbyshire Constabulary to review the way the force records and deals with crimes against wild animals.
Peter Charleston will support Sgt Darren Belfield, the force lead on wildlife crime, as well as other Wildlife Crime Officers in Derbyshire.
His role is to review the way Derbyshire police records and deals with incidents of wildlife crime, to work closely with partner agencies and to support and co-ordinate the 22 Wildlife Crime Officers stationed across the county.
Sgt Belfield said: "Peter's appointment demonstrates the force's commitment to protecting the county's wildlife, and to extending our working relationship with partners.
"A message I'd like to give to the people of Derbyshire is if they suspect a wildlife crime is being committed, then let the police know.
"The public may think they shouldn't trouble the police with wildlife crime, or perhaps that it's not a police matter, but I want to stress that we need people to contact us so we can form a picture of what is going on in the county so that we can formulate a response.
"Their call may be the final piece in the jigsaw, giving us the evidence we need to proceed with a case.
"Divisional Wildlife Crime Officers in Derbyshire deal with a wide range of incidents, including badger baiting, illegal egg collecting, bird of prey persecution, poaching and illegal trading in endangered species".
