Metal Theft campaign yields rewards

Dyfed-Powys Police in Carmarthenshire have collaborated with partner agencies to take part in an enforcement and prevention initiative to combat Metal Theft.

The campaign supported the National Metal Theft Week of Action and included road check operations, visits to scrap metal dealers and raising awareness with distribution of informative related literature.

Metal theft is widely acknowledged as one of the fastest growing crime types in the UK and continues to be a national problem. This year it is estimated that it will cost the British economy £1 billion.

This area of crime has a great impact on the public, causing significant damage to communities, businesses as well as the UK’s infrastructure: telecommunications; rail and power networks and even war memorial plaques.

Metal theft is not a victimless crime; it causes major disruption to ordinary people – as even hospitals have had to cancel operations due to these offences.

To support the national campaign, police in Carmarthenshire have successfully rolled out a locally-focussed initiative called Operation Beagle, which has been running since November 2010.

Inspector Tony Ward said: “Due to global demand and the high price of metal, we are still experiencing the theft of various types of metal in Carmarthenshire. Our partnership approach called Operation Beagle has recently expanded and we now use the assistance and expertise of some of the Utility companies.

“As can be seen from the positive results achieved during the week of action, we will be using various powers available to the police and our partners in order to try and reduce the impact of metal theft offences upon our community.”

Police are focussing on prevention, intelligence and enforcement through partnership working and are appealing for assistance from the public in all our communities.

These results demonstrate that the Force is sending a clear message that metal and cable theft is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Highlights included:

• 2 x multi agency road checks operations were conducted including a cross border operation with South Wales Police
• 17 arrests
• 2 x males from Wiltshire were stop checked in the Llanelli area. Following a search of the vehicle a machete was recovered and both males were arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. Following enquiries with Pembrokeshire, they were both arrested on suspicion of burglary in Pembroke Dock the previous day.
• One scrap collector from Swansea for disqualified driving at Loughor Bridge
• 1 x suspicion of burglary (relates to 4 x recent vacant domestic burglaries in the Amman Valley area. 35 radiators; a copper tank; copper pipes and 2 wheel barrows have been recovered
• 1 x theft of metal – while CID officers were conducting metal theft enquiries at a Llanelli scrap metal dealer’s yard (SMD), a local male turned up with suspected stolen metal and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft / handling.

In addition, four vehicles were seized by police for a variety of offences and 11 scrap metal dealers were visited throughout Carmarthenshire. All the yards were found to be operating within the Scrap Metal Dealers Act but there are some ongoing enquiries.

Other preventative and partner offences:

• Target hardening visits to several industrial companies
• Distribution of hot metal leaflets at key locations such as industrial sites; testing stations; garages; estate agents; supermarkets
• 3 x crime prevention road shows in the three main town centres
• 1 x scrap collector was reported to Social Services and Education Authority for having his seven year old son with him while collecting scrap – should have been in school
• VOSA – 10 x immediate prohibitions and 6 x delayed prohibitions
• 15 x reported for no waste carrier license / transfer notes

Area Environmental Enforcement Officer Paul Morris said: “All businesses that carry waste, including scrap merchants, skip companies, builders and gardeners, must have a waste carriers licence. They must also make sure they have the correct paperwork for all the waste they carry and only use licensed waste sites to dispose of their rubbish.

“We are working closely with the police, through the Community Safety Partnership, as part of a joint operation targeting scrap metal dealers in Carmarthenshire and hope to get the message across that anyone caught illegally transporting waste will be prosecuted through the courts.”

Local Case study

Mr Will Rees, Security manager for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water said: “Welsh Water has recently experienced the theft of metal at its pumping station in Northumberland Avenue, Llanelli which prevented the pumping mechanism from operating. The overall cost of the theft, the repair of damage and the necessary security improvements has now cost the company in the region of £75,000.”

“What is particularly concerning is if such a theft had occurred during heavy rain, parts of Llanelli would have been exposed to raw sewage. This would have caused major disruption to the community and would have been a public health issue. The consequences of a further breach cannot be underestimated”.

If a metal theft incident is ongoing please call 999 or in a non-emergency call 101. You can also call Crimestoppers Wales anonymously on 0800 555 111.