The police’s Operation Tornado aims to make it easier to trace sellers of stolen metal and remove those dealers who operate illegal businesses, seeking to squeeze the sale of already stolen method, as it has proven near impossible to protect metal whether at utilities’ premises, church roofs and railway lines. Hampshire Police has completed phase one of a regional project to clamp down on metal thefts across the county the the Isle of Wight. Individuals will be required to provide proof of their identity including their current address when trying to sell scrap metal to dealers.
The operation was piloted by British Transport Police and several other forces in the North East region of the country earlier this year.
Now Hampshire Police, under their region’s lead force Thames Valley Police, is supporting the south region roll-out. After an operation in the constabulary’s Eastern Area, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is fully signed up to the scheme. As with the operations carried out in the Northern and Western parts of Hampshire, stolen metal was located at several sites during the operation on Tuesday, June 26, and investigations have been launched. So far one man has been arrested – a 36-year-old from Gosport – and is on bail until August 8.
The Western Area was the first across the two counties to pilot the scheme in April followed by the Northern Area a month later.
Insp Jackie Willson who was leading Op Tornado in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said: “We have been working closely with the scrap yards and other agencies across the two counties to tighten up on regulations and to ensure that identification is produced when cash transactions take place. Metal theft is on the increase and these measures have already helped in the fight against crime by identifying those who have tried to peddle stolen metal.”
In the lead-up the operation launch, as in other regions, Safer Neighbourhood teams were visiting with scrap metal dealers ahead as part of regular metal theft investigations, intelligence-gathering and to inform them of the initiative and encourage them to sign up. And letters from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) were sent to all scrap metal dealers.
Insp Willson said: “I am very pleased with the response we have had from the scrap metal dealers who have all supported Operation Tornado and we have forged much better links with this industry during this initiative. We will now continue to build on this success.”
