A total of 21 rural officers from all four Welsh police forces were given vital first-hand experience of farming recently by attending a “Farm Awareness” course at Coleg Sir Gar in Carmarthenshire, the first course of its type ever run in Wales.
Sponsored by the Welsh Government, the day gave Welsh officers the knowledge required to attend farms in the course of their daily duties with the confidence of understanding farming and importantly the dangers of this rural working environment.
The day started off with a session covering the different types of farming in Wales and the real issues that face the industry, from the impact of rural crime to governmental rules and movement licences of livestock.
The officers were then able to experience being around livestock by assisting in the gathering and the counting of sheep and also to understand the dangers that can be presented by working with cattle both indoors and outdoors. Different types of farm machinery were also on the agenda with health and safety covered and how to make farm vehicles safe if required to do so in an emergency, with some officers given the chance to drive tractors and experience first-hand their capabilities.