The fight against metal theft has gone, like everything else, it seems, onto YouTube.
West Yorkshire Police are urging members of the public to help stem the current trends of metal theft across the region.
To get across the message, Kirklees Crime Reduction Officer, PC Roger Day has today released a video on You Tube offering advice on how to avoid becoming a victim.
In the video, he asks neighbours to work together to beat those involved.
PC Day believes there are simple measures which can be taken:
โInform your neighbours to keep eye on your property. If you see someone who you believe shouldnโt be there, report them to the police.
โMark your property with stencils and road paint, indent metal with postcodes or use UV identifiers to deter thieves.
โYou can also mark the metal in anti scaling paint, in particular lead, as this interferes with the smelting process and makes the lead undesirable to dealers.
โMotion censors on roofs and CCTV can also be a good deterrent.
โWorking together in initiatives such as this will put pressure on those who are taking the metal in the first place and also on unscrupulous scrap metal dealers.
A lot of work has already been done to combat the problem which has involved speaking to scrap metal dealers, checking records and looking at their books.
โWe do, however, also need the help of the public. The public need to be the eyes and ears of the police. If you see something suspicious, please report it via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.โ
