06.10.25
Wildlife crime investigation should be a top priority for police in England and Wales. However, the demands on police forces often lead to these issues being overlooked. Crimes like illegal poaching, badger baiting, attacking birds of prey, and trafficking endangered species threaten the UK’s wildlife and natural heritage. Effective policing relies on the commitment of leaders and proper training for officers.
Training helps officers identify and investigate wildlife crimes, which can be complicated and often lack clear victims or witnesses. This makes it harder to catch and prosecute offenders. With proper training, officers learn important laws, such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and how to handle evidence and understand legal procedures.
Trained officers can also help raise public awareness, encourage people to report wildlife crimes, and collaborate more effectively with organisations like Naturewatch Foundation. As wildlife crime increasingly connects to organised crime, better-informed policing is more important than ever.
Investing in police training is crucial for enforcing laws and protecting nature and animal welfare. The College of Policing sets training standards but does not currently include wildlife crime in its main training framework. Its guidance on wildlife crime provides basic support but lacks detailed educational content for officers. To improve this, I worked with the College of Policing Knowledge Bank to emphasise the need for wildlife crime training and ongoing professional development (CPD).
Making a difference – our contribution to online wildlife crime training
In April 2025, my submission to the Knowledge Bank became available. It gives officers helpful resources for wildlife crime training. Thanks to our supporters, Naturewatch Foundation can provide this training for free to police forces in England and Wales.
With government funding focused on other priorities, the diminishing availability of a training budget for police officer education is concerning. As a result, organisations and charities like Naturewatch Foundation are often relied upon to provide this vital training. In late 2024, Naturewatch Foundation was also approached by the National Wildlife Crime Unit with a request to help fund a custom online training package focused on wildlife crime for officers and police staff. It was recognised that this training is essential for protecting one of our beloved species, the badger. Unfortunately, the College of Policing does not address wildlife crime in its Policing Education Qualification Framework, relying instead on the National Wildlife Crime Unit to provide any necessary wildlife training. With the generous support of our amazing supporters, Naturewatch Foundation was able to help partially fund the development of this training package.
The National Wildlife Crime Unit partnered with an experienced online training company to create tailored courses, designed by police experts, that cover key training areas not currently provided by the College of Policing. Fast forward to 2025: the “Badger Crime” online awareness and training course was launched. Aimed at officers and police staff, the course teaches how to recognise offences covered by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and provides initial investigation guidance, utilising real-life case footage. The course also offers valuable information on how officers can build cases for the Crown Prosecution Service. The course includes several knowledge checks, and participants receive a certificate upon completion.
While this form of initial and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training is beneficial, many officers who responded to our recent “Make Wildlife Count” survey express that nothing quite matches the value of face-to-face, hands-on training.
How Naturewatch Foundation is helping to change the face of in-person wildlife crime training
While online training is valuable for raising awareness, it cannot replace the depth of in-person learning.
Online training offers flexibility and cost savings, making it an effective way to introduce legislation and procedures. However, face-to-face training allows participants to engage directly with expert trainers, ask questions, and participate in hands-on exercises. Topics like wildlife legislation are more effectively taught through real-world examples and discussions.
Wildlife crime investigations require officers to handle sensitive evidence and navigate complex scenes, and face-to-face training can simulate these experiences in a controlled setting. Thanks to the support of our Naturewatch Foundation supporters, we have now begun providing in-person training to several police forces this year and have ongoing professional development scheduled for Nottinghamshire Police, starting in September.
We are also exploring partnerships with species-specific organisations to host comprehensive training days on wildlife persecution awareness.
Continued investment in training by police forces in England and Wales is essential for effectively combating wildlife crime, and Naturewatch Foundation is committed to facilitating this. Protecting wildlife begins with well-trained individuals, and that starts in the training room or, as I prefer, in the great outdoors.
Jim – Wildlife Crime Manager
Find out more about our wildlife crime work.
