Home Office backs Essex theft blitz to go national
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• by Ian Wylie An initiative by Essex police to improve the recovery rate of loads stolen from trucks has been launched nationwide with backing from the Home Office, More than 255m worth of goods were reported stolen last year in truck crimes. But according to Essex police, the Stolen Lorry Load Desk and database at its Chelmsford headquarters have been so successful in tracking and recovering stolen goods that the service is now used by 75% of UK police forces.
The desk maintains a detailed database of what loads have been stolen and identifies "hot spots", passing on intelligence around the country and internationally.
At a launch this week attended by Home Office Minister Charles Clarke, the service was re-named the National Stolen Lorry Load Desk. Essex police also announced that a group of com panies including Royal and Sun Alliance, Securicor and Marks & Spencer have agreed to underwrite and expand the desk.
According to PC lain McKinnon, who helped set up the desk seven years ago. the service was in danger of being wound up. "It's difficult to explain to a rate-payer in Essex why they should be funding a national service with their taxes," he explains.
"But I'm relieved that we'll now be able to continue the service and watch it grow from strength to strength," McKinnon adds. "We hope the funding will enable us to take a more pro-active role in fighting lorry load crime and help us to build a more accurate picture of what is going on."