Case Studies

Metal results

by msecadm4921

Police have recorded some encouraging early results in an initiative to prevent metal theft. Earlier this year Pontefract and Knottingley Neighbourhood Policing Team and Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) joined forces to launch a new crime prevention scheme.

 

 

NPT officers visited WDH properties in Knottingley to security mark items such as metal pipework, boilers and central heating installations. This involved using a marking product, an indelible liquid that contains a unique forensic code only visible if examined under ultra-violet light to mark the property.

 

Early results show that, in the Knottingley area, the number of burglaries have reduced by over half during the six weeks up to the end of March when compared with the previous six weeks.

 

Sergeant Dan Tillett, of Pontefract and Knottingley NPT, said: “Obviously it is really early days but we are pleased with the results so far.  We have seen a reduction in burglaries where boilers were taken – four people were arrested for taking a boiler which had been marked.

 

“We are working hard to prevent metal theft and cut off the networks that help thieves get rid of their ill-gotten gains.”

 

WDH Community Safety Manager Gary Lumb said: “We work extremely hard to make sure our tenants and their properties remain safe and secure at all times. By addressing the issue head-on using Smartwater technology we are seeing a reduction in crime and improving confidence on our estate.”

 

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “Such an early and successful outcome is very pleasing. The credit must go to my officers and their West Yorkshire Police and WDH colleagues who have been determined at the outset to eradicate metal theft crime from our communities. This new initiative has allowed our respective organisations to combine their intelligence and resources and will contribute to making our communities safer places in the true spirit of partnership working.”

 

As part of the scheme labels, warning that Smartwater is in use, were displayed on the windows to act as a deterrent to would-be thieves. Police routinely check people arrested for the presence of the marking product to see if the substance is on their skin or their clothing. This is the latest bid by Wakefield and District Police to tackle metal theft. A number of operations have been carried out supported by other agencies targeting suspected metal thieves and those suspected of handling stolen items.

 

They have also launched a partnership to crackdown on the theft of metal. Police led a meeting in Wakefield in December involving representatives from the scrap metal trade. Its aim was to ensure that metal traders were properly informed when accepting metal. They also introduced a new initiative called Metal Watch which will provide metal traders with a support network, including the police and external agencies, where they can find information and advice on a daily basis. Police will provide information which will assist in the identification of stolen metals.

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