North Warwickshire and Bedworth Labour MP Rachel Taylor has welcomed a new government trial aimed at improving police action against serious organised freight crime, writes Carol Millett.
Announcing the trial follows a recent media blitz by Rachel Taylor MP to promote the campaign, including appearing on BBC Midlands Today to talk about their new documentary Lorry Crime Exposed.
The documentary, which is available in BBC iPlayer, reveals the scale and sophistication of freight criminality, including highlighting a case where criminals bought up a transport firm using a dead man’s identity to pose as legitimate truckers – before making off with £75,000 worth of goods.
The new government ‘flagging’ trial will help police to identify patterns in freight criminality, by ensuring that freight thefts receive a specific tag in police crime tracking systems. Currently, such crimes are simply logged as ‘theft from a vehicle’, making them difficult to distinguish from other car crime.
She said the current system was hindering police efforts to track freight criminals and put them behind bars. She said that while she would be continuing her campaign for the introduction of a fully separate ‘crime code’ for freight crime, she welcomed the move as significant progress.
“Last year I launched my campaign to tackle freight crime by tabling a new bill in parliament, so I strongly welcome this new government effort to ensure the police have the tools they need to crack down on this serious and organised criminality,” she acknowledged.
“Twenty percent of my constituents work in this sector, and there isn’t a single haulage firm I’ve spoken to who haven’t been impacted, which is making drivers fearful and costing local firms thousands.
“That’s why I’m continuing to campaign for a new crime code for freight crime, more investment in security at truck stops, and a national policing strategy to deal with the issue, so we can put these shameless criminals behind bars where they belong.”
