More than 30 arrests as police clamp down on vehicle crime

Since the launch of Staffordshire Police's new policing model in June, the force has been working to prioritise community concerns and introduced a dedicated operation called Op Bormus.

It has seen teams from neighbourhood policing working closely with West Midlands Police, Central Motorway Police Group and the force’s roads policing unit.

There have been strategic patrols, leaflet drops and engagement sessions in hotspot areas, intelligence sharing and reassurance visits to victims.

As a result, police have arrested more than 30 suspects in the last three-months.

And since October, the force has recovered at least 20 stolen vehicles across Staffordshire.

Inspector Louise Booker, of the South Staffordshire local policing team, said: “Our new localised operating model has given officers more time to investigate crime, better resources at their disposal and therefore a bigger opportunity to catch thieves.

“We’ve been working closely with our partners in the Community Safety Partnership to make sure this criminality is robustly targeted on a localised scale.

“A major part of our role as neighbourhood officers is to be visible and accessible members of the community, who can better understand the needs and concerns of the public and implement measures like this to action them accordingly.”

The operation comes after an increase in overall reports of vehicle thefts in the last 12 months, compared to the previous 12.

Analysis of these increases have not found any specific causes and have shown they are concurrent with national upward trends experienced across the UK.

Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams said: “The theft of a car can cause significant disruption for individuals and families, while having a van full of tools or equipment stolen can be devastating, particularly for smaller businesses.

“It’s not just the time and inconvenience it takes to sort out an insurance claim – this kind of crime directly impacts on people’s livelihoods, and I welcome Staffordshire Police’s focus on tackling an issue that concerns many of our communities.”