Devon and Cornwall Police’s eye-catching force tractor has officially been named “The Crop Cop” after a competition attracted almost 300 entries from children across the region. The winning name was unveiled during a school assembly on Monday, 6 July, where nine-year-old Hazel, from Mid Devon, was presented with an award after her suggestion was chosen by Chief Constable James Vaughan. 
Nearly 300 entries received
The competition, launched in May, invited children aged 16 and under from Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to come up with a name for the force’s new John Deere tractor. Hazel explained the inspiration behind her winning entry.
“I called it Crop Cop because my Dad grew up on a farm and I wanted a name that sounded fun and fitted a tractor.”
Supporting rural communities
The tractor has been loaned to Devon and Cornwall Police free of charge by agricultural machinery dealership Masons Kings and will be used by the force’s Rural Affairs Team throughout the summer. It will attend agricultural shows and community events across the region, helping officers engage with farmers and raise awareness of rural crime. The distinctive police-liveried tractor made its public debut at the Devon County Show earlier this year, where it attracted significant interest from visitors.
Tackling rural crime
PC Clarke Orchard, who leads on farm machinery, agricultural plant and vehicle theft for the force and developed the tractor initiative, praised the response to the competition. He said:
“The response to the competition was fantastic. There were almost 300 entries in total and several suggestions that would have made excellent names.
“The Crop Cop will be joining us throughout the summer to help us interact with members of the public and enable us to have important and meaningful conversations about how we can work with our communities to tackle rural crime.”
Partnership welcomed
Dominic Burt, General Manager at Masons Kings, said the partnership aimed to demonstrate support for the region’s farming communities. He said:
“The aim of our partnership with Devon & Cornwall Police was to support and stand in solidarity with our farming communities in the fight against rural crime.
“We are very proud of the response and the efforts of Devon & Cornwall Police on this campaign, and would like to pass on our congratulations to Hazel for coming up with the fantastic winning name, The Crop Cop.”
The next opportunity for members of the public to see The Crop Cop will be at the Yealmpton Show on Wednesday, 29 July, where officers from the Rural Affairs Team will be on hand to offer crime prevention advice and engage with the local farming community.
