Alistair Harkness is a senior lecturer in criminal justice at Federation University Australia's Gippsland Campus in Victoria, Australia. His work focusses primarily on farm crime, rural policing and the prevention of crime in rural settings.

1.Introduction: Rural crime prevention in theory and context Tarah Hodgkinson and Alistair Harkness SECTION ONE: Theory and context 2.Social justice and problematising the concept of 'rural'Joseph F. Donnermeyer 3.The development of rational models of crime prevention: A critique of the situationist common sense in rural contexts Matt Bowden and Artur Pytlarz 4.Social crime prevention: Theory, community and the 'rural idyll' Bridget A. Harris 5.The role of modern technology in rural situational crime prevention: A review of the literature Temidayo James Aransiola and Vania Ceccato 6.Social media, rural communities and crime prevention Naomi Smith 7.Armed legitimacy in Mexico: Self-defence groups against criminal violence Irene Álvarez-Rodríguez, Denisse Román-Burgos and Sasha Jesperson SECTION TWO: Rural people 8.Preventing rural alcohol and drug-related crime Ralph Weisheit The challenges of policing alcohol and drug-related crime William Lally 9.Preventing rural hate crime James J. Nolan, Robert L. Nicewarner and Rayna E. Momen Communities of Shalom and preventing hate crime in rural West Virginia Renée Verbanic 10.Preventing violence against women in the heartland Walter S. DeKeseredy The challenges of policing violence against women Troy Ball 11.No dress rehearsal, this is our life: Crime prevention in the hands of local residents Tarah Hodgkinson, Gregory Saville, Herb Sutton and Ryan Mackrell Policing and preventing crime in rural Scotland Alan Dron 12.Preventing fraud victimisation in rural areas Cassandra Cross Policing rural fraud victimisation Mike Kelly 13.Crime prevention in Indigenous communities: Lessons from Saskatchewan, Canada Nicholas A. Jones Structural change to reduce crime in First Nations communities in Saskatchewan, Canada Dan Bellegarde SECTION THREE:Rural property, environment and nature 14.Livestock theft prevention Willie Clack The National Rural Safety Strategy in the Free State, South Africa Jane Buys 15.Technological approaches to preventing property theft from farms Alistair Harkness and Jo-ann Larkins Innovative rural policing approaches in England's Midlands region Mick Simpson 16.Preventing crime against cultural and archaeological sites Suzie Thomas and Louise E. Nicholas The development of a heritage crime prevention program Mark Harrison 17.Preventing wildlife crime: Contemporary issues in enforcement and policy perspectives Angus Nurse Preventing crimes against rural fauna Geoff Edmond 18.Preventing crime in resource-based boom communities Rick Ruddell and Erin Donnelly Boomtown and bust town policing Paul Ladouceur 19.Preventing rural arson Janet Stanley Arson prevention and education Christopher J. Donnermeyer SECTION FOUR:Future directions 20.Conclusion: The future of rural crime prevention Alistair Harkness and Kyle Mulrooney

Rural crime has long been overlooked in the field of crime prevention. Sustained academic interrogation is necessary, therefore, to reduce the extensive economic and social costs of rural crime as well as to challenge some of the myths regarding the prevention of rural crime.
Rural Crime Prevention: Theory, Tactics and Techniques critically analyses, challenges, considers and assesses a suite of crime prevention initiatives across an array of international contexts. This book recognises the diversity and distinct features of rural places and the ways that these elements impact on rates, experiences and responses. Crucially, Rural Crime Prevention also incorporates non-academic voices which are embedded throughout the book, linking theory and scholarship with practice.
Proactive responses to rural offending based on sound evidence can serve to facilitate feelings of safety and security throughout communities, enhance individual wellbeing and alleviate pressure on the overburdened and typically under-resourced formal elements of the criminal justice system. This book provides an opportunity to focus on the prevention of crime in regional, rural and remote parts of the globe.
An accessible and compelling read, this book will appeal to students and scholars of criminology, policing, sociology and practitioners interested in learning about the best-practice international approaches to rural crime prevention in the twenty-first century.