Staffordshire Police launches new vehicle crime-busting team
A crime-busting operation launched to tackle vehicle thefts resulted in the arrest of more than 20 suspects and the recovery of dozens of stolen cars in a five-month period.
Staffordshire Police said since launch of Op Bormus set up in partnership with neighbouring West Midlands Police, there have been more than 20 arrests and more than 30 vehicles recovered since June.
Now the force has set up a new team of five officers as part of efforts to further crackdown on car thieves. The dedicated unit has already seen three suspects arrested this week.
The force said the team will be rolling out to crime hotspots and will be working with partner agencies to find culprits using combined expertise including neighbourhood policing, criminal investigations, forensics and roads policing.
Detective Inspector Pete Cooke, of Op Bormus, said: “This is another important step in the right direction which will give us more ways of finding those responsible and protecting the belongings of our communities.
“We realise the devastating impact this type of crime can have on residents and businesses. It’s not only the hassle and inconvenience, but also the financial implications which can have such a lasting affect on people.
“It’s one of the main reasons why we have appointed these officers and implemented a strenuous recruitment procedure to ensure they are right for the role.
"We will be continuing to work with our local partners and colleagues to action this community priority and ensure we disrupt those who are seeking to commit vehicle thefts in Staffordshire.”
The move comes as the force continues its efforts to improve its call-out response times tackle what the force describes as " a collective increase in this criminality across the UK", and the force stated that it aimed "to put a stop to it".
Neighbourhood crime figures for Staffordshire remain 16.7 per cent below the national baseline.
In October, Op Bormus officers arrested a Burntwood man, 20, and a Lichfield man, 27, both on suspicion of drugs offences, in Cartersfield Lane, in Walsall.
The operation has seen neighbourhood officers work closely with colleagues at West Midlands Police, Central Motorway Police Group and the force’s own Roads Policing Unit to sharing intelligence, engage with members of the public and patrolling key areas to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
