EXECUTIVE REPORT
Beat the thieves
HAE has launched a new service to help its members tackle the theft of plant and machinery, and the growing problem of fraudulent hires. Alan Guthrie reports.
As the article in the September issue of EHN on Police Scotland’s work to raise awareness of plant theft incidents showed, criminal activity is a subject that businesses and individuals need to be constantly on the alert for. Indeed, the theft of construction plant and agricultural machinery is estimated to cost £1m every week in the UK.
The HAE is helping its members to be on their guard following the introduction of its Thefts & Fraud News Group, which the Association launched in July. The aim is to share details of recent incidents that hirers have been affected by, so that others can be aware if they should subsequently encounter similar activity or recognise suspected individuals.
‘Live’ information
“We had been receiving a growing number of reports from members, principally via word of mouth and phone calls, telling us that they had been affected and in many cases asking what they could do about it,” said Ann Harrison, HAE’s Marketing Manager. “Some people think there is little they can do but as soon as they have contacted the Police and obtained a crime reference number relating to the incident, we can go ‘live’ with the information. We currently have 2,380 people who have joined the Thefts & Fraud News Group, and whenever we are told about an incident we send out an email with the details so that other hirers can be made aware.”
Datatag ID provides the Cesar scheme which includes tamper evident registration plates to help machine identification.
A page on the HAE’s website gives information on what to do initially in the
event of a theft or fraud incident. It also provides a link to the site of PANIU (Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit) which works with the Police to recover stolen items. In addition, a link is provided to a PANIU notification form and, once this is completed and returned, details can be added to the central Police database.
31 HAE offers advice on its website.
“As well as helping to recover the stolen items, this information can help to monitor similarities and help identify individuals involved in organised crime gangs. It can also highlight patterns of identity theft activity and other scams,” said Ann Harrison. “Some hirers are reporting a rise in thefts of smaller tools and equipment that the thieves hope can be sold on quickly. We heard of one incident in which one small business had £20,000 worth of items taken. Also, there are more reports of particular machines being virtually stolen to order, with thieves targeting specific products.
More vigilant
“We believe the Thefts & Fraud News Group is definitely helping to raise awareness of these issues. It is making hirers more vigilant and letting them know what can be done to tackle the problem. It provides a mechanism that people can follow to warn others, and it can help the Police to track down the criminals and prevent other companies from being affected in the future.”
The HAE sits on the PANIU board and contributes to its discussions about recovering stolen items and assisting the Police in tackling organised crime networks around the UK. “We are also planning to contact the government to raise awareness further about these issues,” said Ann Harrison. “Plant theft occurrences are often not isolated incidents and can be part of a much wider network. We also want to show the government that, as a major sector in its own right, the hire industry is being affected by plant theft and fraud.”
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www.hae.org.uk
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