Northern Ireland’s police force will be spending more time on the land over the coming months, thanks to a novel initiative involving the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU).

The UFU is rolling out on-farm training to all Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) districts where the basics of farming are covered.

Training is hosted on the farm of a UFU member and consists of a farm tour where topics explained and demonstrated include tagging and the movement of animals, livestock handling on public roads, machinery, on-farm hazards and biosecurity.

The decision to roll out the initiative across Northern Ireland follows on from a successful pilot session with Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon officers.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer on-farm training to PSNI neighbourhood team and crime prevention officers and hope to have completed training with all 11 districts by the end of this year,” said UFU deputy president William Irvine.

“Thirty officers received training in Richill on a beef finishing farm recently as part of the pilot session and they found it hugely beneficial,” he added.

“If you’re not from a farming background, it can be difficult to manage certain calls relating to a farm business or rural areas with confidence, which is why we’re rolling out this training to give officers an insight into a working farm,” Irivine explained.

“It will equip them with the necessary skills to handle extremely difficult and distressing issues experienced by farm families,’’ he said.

PSNI Supt Johnston McDowell, welcomed the initiative.

“Rural communities play an essential role in the local economy. Thefts of livestock and equipment can not only hamper a farmer’s ability to do the job, but can cause significant upset, inconvenience and loss of income. Police understand this and that’s why we are delighted to have this opportunity to further ‘upskill’ officers to develop their knowledge in tackling rural crime," he said.

The UFU and PSNI are also working together to develop classroom-based training for all PSNI officers, to begin in spring 2023.