Media information: 24 May 2010
AVCIS, the Association of Chief Police Officer’s Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service has launched a new national Capture Car programme in association with Cobra, a leading stolen vehicle tracking and recovery company.
AVCIS has a fleet of vehicles, fitted with Cobra’s state-of-the-art Capture Car technology, available for hire by the UK’s police forces.“This programme aims to remove the need for forces to deal with multiple suppliers and means that vehicles can be used on rotation so they do not become familiar to criminals,” said Head of AVCIS, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper.
The cars are deployed across the UK in order to catch criminals in the act as they try to break in, steal items or damage vehicles. When a thief forces entry into the car, the interior surveillance system, which features tiny high-resolution covert cameras that operate day and night, will capture the criminals on film. A motion sensor will also trigger automatic intrusion alerts, sent to 3G mobile telephones.
In the past police have had to wait until prolific offenders have led them to their houses or to the location of other stolen vehicles before making arrests. Critically, all the data collected with a Capture Car provides forces with the opportunity to make arrests with admissible video proof, which can then be used as evidence in court.
DCI Hooper continued: “This new Capture Car fleet will provide the UK’s police forces with a highly
cost-effective and covert resource to catch would-be car thieves. We are confident that a programme such as this will help in the fight against vehicle-enabled crime by catching criminals red-handed.”
Andrew Smith, Managing Director of Cobra UK, added: “Cobra has been at the forefront of protecting vehicles and their contents with highly innovative products across Europe for over 25 years and we are delighted to be working with AVCIS on this initiative.”
Notes to editors
For more information on AVCIS’ Capture Car fleet please contact AVCIS on tel: 02476 826 259 or email: intel@avcis.pnn.police.uk
Media enquiries please contact a member of the AVCIS PR team on tel: 01908 635 300 or email: AVCISpr@rsm-live.com
It is recognised that ‘traditional’ vehicle crime, such as theft of or from vehicles is no longer regarded as a policing priority by most forces. Therefore, under the guidance of the Association of Police Officers (ACPO) portfolio lead for Vehicle Crime matters, the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS) was launched on 15th December 2006 and is based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire within the NIPA (National Policing Improvements Agency) site. The unit was initially funded by the Home Office, through the ACPO Acquisitive Crime Board and answers to Deputy Chief Constable David Ainsworth, of Wiltshire.
AVCIS does not exist in isolation, but operates within a complex and dynamic environment where national priorities are changing and high-level strategies require constant interpretation and reinterpretation. AVCIS works with partner agencies and all stakeholders within the trade and associated businesses to provide the most effective response. AVCIS speaks for the UK policing in respect of vehicle enabled crime matters.
AVCIS incorporates a number of specialist functions including TruckPol, the national freight crime intelligence service, and the Vehicle Fraud Unit who investigate organised finance fraud.
AVCIS offers the UK Police Service:
• A single point of contact for advice in relation to vehicle crime
• A team committed to tackling vehicle enabled crime
• An opportunity to work free from the barriers and constraints of a single police force
• No draw on resources for other operational matters
• A credible voice for the service within the industry
• A new concept with the full backing of the ACPO and therefore definition of all police forces in the UK
AVCIS – The Facts1
• AVCIS have recovered in excess of 1800 vehicles
• The total value of recovered assets exceeds £35 million
• AVCIS have made 236 arrests
Reference
1. AVCIS data on file correct 18/05/10
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