Cheshire Police descended on Lymm Truckstop this week to give crime prevention advice to HGV drivers and conducted targeted patrols to combat vehicle and cargo-related crime.
Working with the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), officers spoke to lorry drivers and haulage firms to offer advice and tips on how to stay vigilant and mitigate the risk of becoming victims of freight crime.
PC Danielle Goodwin, who led the operation, said: “Hundreds of thousands of HGVs use our roads every day, with many lorry drivers choosing to stop overnight in our county - and while we try our best to ensure those that do are safe and secure, we know that there are criminals who deliberately enter the area to target these vehicles.
“We understand the detrimental impact this can have on the haulage industry, as well as the lorry drivers who fall victim to this type of crime, and I hope this operation acts as a warning that Cheshire Police, along with NaVCIS, are working together to bring those suspected of criminal activity to justice.”
NaVCIS is a non-profit initiative which bridges the gap between policing and the industry by helping to disrupt criminality and protect communities harmed by vehicle finance crime or organised crime.
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Detective chief inspector Brett Mallon, head of unit at NaVCIS, said: “The UK freight sector is targeted by organised criminals stealing cargos and fuel. The impact on the UK economy runs to hundreds of millions of pounds and ultimately, we all pay these costs through higher prices.
“Both government and policing take this very seriously with recently announced central funds being made available to help improve infrastructure and security at lorry parks and also through policing operations that are catching the criminals involved.
DI Mallon added: “It has long been thought through our policing and industry partners that the UK needs to adopt a secure truck parking standard that is robust enough to defeat serious and organised criminality rather than to deter your opportunist cargo thief.
“Lorry parks and truck stops that achieve a high standard of security and are awarded the Park Mark Freight accreditation are annually assessed by police crime prevention officers.”
