North Yorkshire Police Launch Operation to Target Cargo Thieves

Helping Hauliers Fight Back

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that there are unscrupulous crimes all over the country whose main mission in life is to prey on hardworking drivers and steal their loads. One of the hottest spots (and for once this isn’t an honour to be proud of) for theft is North Yorkshire, but with the launch of Op Cargo, the police and NaVCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service) are looking to change that. Haulage companies operating in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas will no doubt be relieved that more is being done.

The Operation in Action

The aim of the initiative is pretty clear: to tackle rising cargo thefts. It intends to do this in a number of ways.

• Step up the number of patrols on the A1M Corridor and A19
• Work with drivers, haulage companies and motorway services to educate and raise awareness
• Work with bordering police forces, including West Yorkshire
• On-going driver engagement days to help inform and educate (the first series has already taken place at Coneygarth services on the A1M)

Early Results Encouraging

In the first two weeks after the initiative was launched some promising results emerged, with numerous arrests taking place. A spokesperson for the North Yorkshire police said that by carrying out their stepped up patrols (both day and night) and being highly visible and proactive in their approach, they believe criminals are already thinking twice about carrying out theft in the region.

Of course this is really good news for haulage, but the police say that drivers also have to play their part. They are encouraging them to make sure they don’t frequent isolated service areas, but instead choose somewhere like the Coneygarth services, if possible, which puts a high focus on security.

Cargo theft is a nasty problem, but with the success of initiatives like Op Cargo, perhaps more and more areas around the country will begin to tackle it head-on.

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