Devon & Cornwall Police are offering clubs in Devon heavily subsidised property marking packs to deter theft.
"This is an offer too good to turn down."
- Funding & Facilities Manager, Nick Goodliffe.
The subsidy comes as part of Devon & Cornwall Police's (D&C Police) Deter Rats initiative, which aims to prevent further criminal activity following a recent spate of thefts affecting sports clubs in the region.
One of the affected clubs was Bridestowe & Belstone CC, who had several pedestrian mowers stolen close to the start of the season. "This made pre-season pitch preparation very challenging and replacing the stolen equipment put a big strain on our club finances," says James Ewen.
"Our remote location makes us particularly vulnerable to these kinds of thefts, and the Smartwater scheme would complement the other security improvements we have made to our ground."
20 Devon clubs have already signed up for the subsidised SmartWater property marking and signage package, with a further 15 clubs required to sign up for D&C Police to release the subsidy, which would see clubs save 80% on the cost of the package.
"Whilst this property marking scheme will primarily enable stolen goods to be returned, it will also act as a significant deterrent as thieves will observe the signage provided as part of the kit and will, in many cases, move on elsewhere," says Devon Cricket Foundation's Funding & Facilities Manager, Nick Goodliffe.
"This is an offer too good to turn down, and we would strongly advise clubs to sign up for this scheme and make the most of this very attractive offer while it is available."
The deadline for Devon clubs to fill in the below Expression of Interest form has been extended to 11:59pm on Friday, 18 July 2025.
The Devon Cricket Foundation is urging clubs to act quickly to ensure they are protected from theft and the subsequent difficulties these cause.
CONTACT
If you have any questions relating to accessing SmartWater property marking and signage package, please contact Nick Goodliffe:
nick.goodliffe@devoncricket.co.uk
07801 178329
