Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
10th April 2024 Issue no. 700
Your industry news - first
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Cable theft on the Railways
Telford-based SmartWater Technology Ltd is working closely with Network Rail, law enforcers and law abiding scrap dealers to clamp down on this problem in the West Midlands.
In figures released in early 2011, Network Rail said passengers had been delayed by more than 6,000 hours nationally in the previous 12-month period. These delays were the result of more than 3,000 individual instances of crime and caused Network Rail to pay out £16.5m to replace stolen cables and compensate train operators for loss of service.
Phil Cleary, CEO of SmartWater comments:
"We welcome the fact the committee recognises how important this issue is, that the right targeted action can crack this problem, and that funding must be made available to stop the terrible disruption caused by metal and cable theft. Having worked with the majority of UK utility providers to safeguard integral infrastructure from metal theft, identification of the 'seller' at the point of purchase in a scrap metal dealership is paramount. However, this process will be rendered pointless if when searching a scrap yard, the police cannot prove that the metal or cable under suspicion is actually stolen.
"As former police officers, we at SmartWater know that the inability to prove whether metal or cable is stolen is a constant source of frustration - in essence an 'accountability gap' that criminals frequently hide behind to escape prosecution. In terms of the criminal justice system, traceability brings accountability, which is something thieves will look to avoid at all costs. As a result, a strategy based around traceability can produce a powerful deterrent, a principle that we have proven both academically and practically over many years working with police forces throughout the UK."
SmartWater provides a cutting edge risk management service that combines forensic marking technology with intelligence-led strategic thinking. This is proven to successfully reduce a wide range of crimes, including burglary, robbery, vehicle crime and metal theft. SmartWater creates a genuine deterrent for criminals by sending them a powerful and long-standing warning that if they commit a crime, they, or the stolen goods can be traced and identified. This effectively wages psychological warfare on criminals by heightening their fears of arrest and prosecution. SmartWater has a 100% success rate in obtaining 1,000 convictions in 16 years and research has shown that it is one of the most powerful crime deterrents available.
1st February 2012