Rural villages in England are often portrayed as problem-free, idyllic environments characterized by neighborliness and cultural homogeneity. However, as indicated and argued in this article, racist victimization in rural environments is a significant issue that has only recently begun to receive the necessary attention. The increasing ethnic diversity of the countryside’s population is challenging the suggestion that the rural is “purely a White landscape." It is argued that village space is not neutral but is instead racialized and contested, and that it is feelings of insecurity among White rural populations, exacerbated by the presence of a markedly different “other” that results in the marginalization of minority ethnic groups from mainstream community activities. It is also suggested that these groups are often subjected to racist victimization, which can go unrecognized by local agencies. This has implications for policing diversity in rural areas. The article explores ways in which the public police could begin to develop a more nuanced understanding of the diversification of rural space and outside populations. Notes, references