Police promise metal thieves a bleak winter

Police promise metal thieves a bleak winter

Greater Manchester Police will be continuing its drive to hammer down metal theft in the county today (11 October) with raids on nine scrap metal yards and roadside operations to tackle criminals transporting stolen goods.

Divisional officers will also be visiting dozens of local scrap metal dealers as part of regular checks to ensure that they are adhering to legislation regarding keeping full records of all transactions and to encourage them to adopt working practices that make it harder for criminals to off-load stolen metals on them.

The high impact enforcement activity against metal theft continues the work of Operation Alloy that was set up in September last year to help stem the rise in metal thefts driven by increasing commodity prices for lead and copper. Officers are keen to continue the robust police activity of last year that has helped cut metal theft to half in the last 12 months compared to what it was in the previous 12 months.

The day of action will see officers supported by engineers from telecoms, electricity, water and tram and train networks searching the suspect scrap yards for metals that may have been stolen from their networks. Roadside checks on vehicles of people suspected to be transporting stolen metals will also take place in the vicinity of the targeted scrap metal yards.

Superintendent Craig Thompson who is leading the day of action said: “Many people will have been inconvenienced by power cuts, loss of telephone and internet connections and train and tram disruptions as a result of the activity of metal thieves.

“Some will have had their lives put at risk through thieves targeting metal cables that supply power and communication links to hospitals and care homes and the emergency services.

“More than half of metal thefts in Greater Manchester are from the homes of ordinary, often vulnerable people causing them physical and financial hardship that is particularly painful in the current financial climate and during the winter months.

“Because of this we have worked hard in the last year to substantially reduce metal thefts by targeting metal thieves in the scrap metal yards where they off load their ill-gotten gains, on the roads when they are transporting stolen metals and in the communities where they spread misery by stealing metals from people’s homes and community buildings.

“We will be maintaining this level of pressure over the next few months to make it a cold, hard winter for metal thieves.

“People can help by making their homes, businesses and community buildings less vulnerable to thieves by using security lights, fencing, alarms and good locks to keep thieves at bay.

“They can also help us by providing information about suspicious activity either directly to us on 101, the new single non-emergency number or anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”