1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
Securicor to Reinforce Vehicle Observer Corps
Page 66
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
REWARDS IN CASH, TOO THE vehicle observer corps will be immensely strengthened by the decision of Securicor Ltd., announced on Monday, to co-operate fully with the road haulage industry and the police in the fight against lorry thieves.
This was made clear at a Press conference which followed a meeting of the RHA's vehicle security committee with observer corps group controllers, police, and representatives of Securicor Ltd. Mr. J. T. Brown (Atlas Express Ltd.) presided.
The committee commended the steps taken by Securicor Ltd. to establish two-way radio control, with control centres near trunk roads, from one end of the country to the other, and it was felt that the vehicles of operators taking part in Securicor's H.E.L.P. scheme would enjoy valuable additional protection against hi-jacking, having regard to Securicor's fleet of 1,000 radio-controlled vehicles.
The number and ranking seniority of the police officers attending indicated the importance the police attached to the scheme. Mr. Brown stressed the unstinting co-operation which they are generally affording to hauliers. Vehicle observer corps volunteers who recover vehicles are to be rewarded, said Mr. Brown, in an effort to stimulate even greater enthusiasm and effectiveness. To provide additional funds, yearly contributions have been promised from Securicor Ltd. and from Mr. B. E. Hackley, on behalf of goods-in-transit insurers. Other possible sources of revenue are to be canvassed, and the reward scheme will be launched as a matter of urgency.
Securicor's patrols are to receive instruction in lorry spotting. Closer liaison between the areas and the police should result in faster "call-outs".
Hauliers in general were lambasted by Mr. Brown and by Mr. Hackley for their indifference to their responsibility in taking adequate precautions both in relation to vetting drivers' references and fitting approved types of immobilizers to their vehicles.
Mr. Brown urged all hauliers to photograph drivers on engagement, and before they were given charge of a vehicle. Mr. Hackley said that American insurers invalidated commercial vehicle insurance if vehicles were not returned every 60 days to enable engineers to check the adequacy of immobilizing devices. He hoped insurers generally in this country would insist on similar stringent safeguards.