AVCIS, the Association of Chief Police Officer's Vehicle Crime
Intelligence Service has launched a new national Capture Car
programme in association with Cobra, the European market leader in
stolen vehicle tracking and recovery
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 breaks into the car the interior surveillance system,
which features tiny hi-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:
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 1777 vehicles
- The total value of recovered assets exceeds £33.2 million
- AVCIS have made 236 arrests
Reference
- AVCIS data on file correct 18/05/10