Work to combat metal theft on the railways and against utilities and others goes on.
For example British Transport Police (BTP) are blitzing Knottingley over the next few weeks with additional officers and patrols in a push to target cable crime.
The special operation will involve large numbers of additional BTP officers being deployed to work alongside BTP’s dedicated cable squad of over 20 officers in the North.
The additional officers will assist by providing high visibility patrols day and night in key hotspot areas on the railway network that are often targeted by criminals attempting to steal railway cable which results in disruption and misery for the travelling public.
PCSOs will also be leafleting thousands of residents throughout Knottingley in the next few weeks with a leaflet through their doors highlighting the effects of cable theft in their community, and warning of the dangers and likely punishment of stealing cable.
Railway cable in the area is now being protected by a new, unique Forensic Taggent from RedWeb Technologies. It is being applied to the cables to help police catch the thieves, by providing the all important link between the criminal and the crime scene.
Detective Sergeant Granville Sellers of British Transport Police’s dedicated cable squad Operation Leopard said, “Over the past few months we have seen an increase in the number of offences in the Knottingley area which is causing huge disruption to passengers travelling through the area.
“The price of copper on world markets is continuing to drive the demand for cable, which has resulted in an increase in the number of incidents of cable theft on the railway. It’s costing the industry, and the wider economy, millions of pounds and that figure is rising”, he said.
“More and more culprits and scrap metal dealers are being caught, since 1 April 2011 we have arrested over 60 people in the North East alone, with 13 in the Wakefield area, and we’re pushing hard to make sure they face the toughest possible sentences in relation to this crime, but thieves are still willing to risk their lives for just £50 in their pocket.
“Last week cable thief John Eastman, was jailed for 12 months at Pontefract Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to two counts of stealing cable from Fairburn and Fryston earlier this year.
“A number of cable thieves have been badly injured or burnt attempting to steal cable and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets electrocuted or struck by a train and killed.
“In July, two brothers Jason and John Tusting were imprisoned for over eight years for cable theft-related offences on the rail network, when a man they were with was fatally electrocuted as they ransacked a railway substation in Bromley.”
“Cable theft is far from a victimless crime and, aside from the cost to the rail industry, it causes misery and major issues for countless people whose journeys – some of which could be vitally important eg hospital appointments and flights – are hampered by the resulting delays and cancellations.”
Detective Sgt Sellers added, “BTP, in partnership with Network Rail, has developed a number of tactics to tackle cable and metal theft, including frequent visits to scrap metal dealers and the instigation of Operation Leopard, which has seen officers across the country specialising in the investigation of cable theft. We are committed to tackling this crime and are doing everything we can to protect your railway.
“These have yielded significant results, but increasing metal prices on world markets is resulting in a similar rise in the number of thefts of rail and cable. The railway network is vast so we are undertaking this operation to get as many officers as we can involved, to really target hotspot areas in Knottingley.
“Using Red Web technology on the rail network will also assist us in identifying those responsible for stealing cable.Technological and forensic advances such as this are making life more and more difficult for thieves, and are increasing the opportunities for us to detect criminals.
“We hope this sends a strong message out to those who engage in criminal activity that we have more officers patrolling the network than ever before and you will be caught.
Richard Lungmuss, route director for Network Rail said: “Cable theft continues to cause massive disruption to passengers and freight services. This is not acceptable. Britain relies on the rail network and the disruption and delay has a significant effect on people’s lives – through being late for work, missing appointments or simply ruining a day out during the summer holidays.
“We are doing all we can to protect the network, including successful use of CCTV, extra dedicated police patrols and using various methods to make cables harder to steal."
Network Rail, working in partnership with the charity Crimestoppers, is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any cable thieves.
