THIS weekend, police officers will be tackling crime and anti-social behaviour across Thurrock as usual.
As well as responding to emergencies, they will also be patrolling the area to deter crime.
Vehicle crime is a particular focus at the moment even though 2024 saw a 13% drop in reported offences compared with the previous year.
But Sergeant Adam Priest, of Thurrock Community Policing Team, says there will be no let-up in either high-visibility patrols or patrols in unmarked cars.
“Any victim of crime is one too many and we know how the theft of a vehicle or its contents can disrupt people’s daily lives and, often, seriously damage their livelihoods,” he says.
“We mount regular operations to target thefts of and from vehicles, from motorbikes and cars to HGVs. We can also call on specialist teams, such as our Dog Section and Roads Policing Unit, to help us.
“Operations vary depending on what crime types are prevalent at the time. Should the pattern change, we will change our tactics.
“Which is why we rely on the public reporting thefts to us – so we can spot emerging trends and identify hotspot areas and times, and direct our policing activity accordingly.
“At the moment we are seeing a spike in thefts from articulated lorries so officers are concentrating some of their patrols on lorry parks and warning drivers, too.”
Thurrock is a district where many tradespeople come to work during the week, returning home at weekends. When the team saw an increase in thefts of tools from vans, they acted.
“We asked hotels to allow workers to take their tools into their rooms to keep them safe overnight. I’m delighted to say that the vast majority agreed and last year reports of thefts from vehicles dropped by 22.7%, compared with 2023,” says Adam.
“Vehicle theft rates are coming down, too. Our visible patrols are a deterrent and we also use unmarked cars to try to catch criminals in the act.
“These patrols also have a knock-on effect on road safety as we have arrested several drivers under the influence of drink or drugs. We’ve also made arrests for careless and dangerous driving – some of which would not have happened if were not for the fact officers were in an unmarked car.”
The team also works to recover stolen vehicles. Just last week, following information received, officers located three cars – in Chadwell St Mary, Grays and Purfleet. Inquiries into the thefts are ongoing.
Adam says: “We recover many vehicles undamaged and it’s very rewarding when we are able to contact someone to give them the good news.
“Again, we do need the help of the public to report to us vehicles which seem out of place. Stolen vehicles are often hidden in plain sight with criminals returning after a few days to drive them out of the area.
“Is there a vehicle new to your street which hasn’t been moved, or perhaps in a car park. Please report it to us – we can make some very quick checks to determine whether it’s been stolen.”
Staying safe
Visit the Essex Police website’s crime prevention pages for advice about keeping your vehicle and its contents secure.
www.essex.police.uk/cp
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