DERBYSHIRE Constabulary’s rural crime team has won the 2023 Rob Oliver Award from the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) for its efforts in the fight against construction plant and agricultural machinery theft.
The award, first presented in 2021, is given annually to the most proactive rural crime team in the UK. Winning forces must meet criteria based on the use and support of the construction industry’s official security marking and registration scheme, the Construction Equipment Security and Registration Scheme (CESAR) database.
Derbyshire’s rural crime team was singled out for its exceptional effort to promote CESAR Security to the farming community in Derbyshire. It was also among the top three UK police forces nationally for making checks on CESAR-marked machinery.
Derbyshire police and crime commissioner Angelique Foster recently invested £15,000 in the roll out of the CESAR scheme, giving farmers the opportunity to have their equipment marked with the CESAR Security Systems and Datatag products. More than £2 million worth of machinery has been protected in Derbyshire via the team’s efforts.
In addition, since the rural crime team has been in place, supported by the rural PCSO, there is said to have been a ‘marked improvement’ in engagement with rural communities. This is evidenced by the increase in subscriptions to the Derbyshire Alert FarmWatch Group, which now has over 2,800 members – up from just 500 in 2022.
Angelique Foster said, “I am proud of this national award. The team deserves full credit for their hard work and efforts. Our rural communities deserve a first-class response to the issues that threaten their safety and livelihoods. Derbyshire’s rural crime team works hard to listen and understand these unique problems, and takes robust proactive action, alongside partners, to prevent more of these crimes and bring rural criminals to justice.”
Rob Oliver, founder of the CESAR Scheme and retired CEO of the CEA, added, “The Derbyshire rural crime team have really embraced the tools provided by the CESAR scheme to combat machine theft in their county. They recognise that thieves shy away from CESAR-marked and registered equipment and so prevents crime.”
Suneeta Johal, chief executive of the CEA, commented, “The Derbyshire police force’s efforts in combating machinery theft are commendable. I’d like to specifically congratulate the Derbyshire Police for their remarkable success and their dedicated work in protecting farm machinery in Derbyshire with CESAR. Their use of CESAR to monitor machinery across the county highlights the CEA’s ongoing and solid commitment to this battle.”
