February 8, 2010
THEFT OF AGRICULTURAL AND BUILDING MACHINERY IN THREE
RIVERS
POLICE are issuing advice and appealing for information to help cut thefts of heavy
plant machinery across the Three Rivers district after 33 during 2009.
This is 81 for all of 2008 and 2009. The areas which have seen the highest offences in
this period are West Rickmansworth with 13 across the two years, and Chorleywood,
Maple Cross, Northwood and central Rickmansworth all with 11.
Most commonly stolen items are excavators which account for 21.7 per cent of all
thefts of this kind and forklifts, of which 16 have been stolen. The top ten most stolen
types of plant are as follows:
Type of Plant
Excavator
Forklift
Generator
Dumper
JCB
Claydigger
Breaker
Mini digger
Trenchdigger
Concrete mixer
Total
20
16
10
8
7
4
4
3
3
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Other items taken include generators, loaders, rollers, concrete mixers, pumps,
chippers, tippers, rollers, bulldozers, quad bikes, tractors and trailers
Hertfordshire Constabulary is working with the Plant and Agricultural National
Intelligence Unit and neighbouring police forces, Thames Valley Police and the
Metropolitan Police, to help drive these numbers down.
Hertfordshire officers have been conducting more high visibility patrols in the
effected areas. There have also been operations across the district where plant
machinery being transported on roads is stopped and checked to make sure it is not
stolen.
Plans are also in place to ensure all appropriate officers and PCSOs are trained to
assist farmers and plant owners of the new CESAR (Construction Equipment Security
and Registration Scheme) registration marking scheme.
Neighbourhood Inspector George Holland said: “Plant theft is a serious issue in Three
Rivers and the impact on owners of stolen items is enormous.
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“From April 2008 to March 2009 across the country, an average of 16 items was
being taken a day, which equates to a value of £57 million and the average value of an
item taken is £10,000.
“Much of the stolen plant is taken from farms and other business located in rural
areas. As Three Rivers is largely rural and with good links to London, this may be
why it has been targeted.
“We are appealing to anyone who lives or works in the Three Rivers areas to help us
by being extra vigilant of any suspicious activity in areas where plant machinery is
kept. We would also encourage owners of such items to follow our advice.
“Although certain parts of the country are experiencing high numbers of thefts of
plants, Hertfordshire still has one of the lowest recorded levels for thefts of this kind.
But one crime is a crime too many, so we want to drive this down further.
“We are absolutely determined that by working with local farmers, plant hire
companies and builders that we will reduce thefts significantly over the coming
months and years.”
General advice to members of the public:
 Look out for any suspicious activity at places where large machinery is kept.
 In particular, beware of any movement of plant machinery outside usual
working hours (including weekends and national holidays) or after dark,
which may not be authorised.
 If the machinery is kept near where you live, it may be a good idea to
introduce yourself to the work men so you know them and find out when their
hours of work are so you know what activity might be suspect.
 If you live near a school, a house, a farm or cemetery where work is being
done that involves some plant machinery, keep an eye on them as these are all
areas where crimes have been previously committed.
 If in doubt, always ring the police as soon as possible to make us aware.
 If you believe a crime is in progress, always ring 999 for an immediate police
response.
 If you are phoning after an incident or with information, ring police on the
non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222.
Advice to owners of plant machinery:
 Make your neighbours aware of your activities so they can be your eyes and
ears when there is no one on the site or farm.
 Ensure any plant equipment is safely locked away at night or when not in use
and the area is unattended.
 There are a variety of new security products and services which can be
obtained from the CESAR website www.cesarscheme.org
For more crime prevention advice, please contact Three Rivers Crime Prevention
Officer Gary Sibson on 01923 472624.
A 25-year-old man Watford has been arrested on suspicion of theft of plant and has
been released on police bail while police enquiries continue.
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Anyone with any information on these crimes should ring 999 if this crime is in
progress, but otherwise the non-emergency number 0845 33 00 222. Alternatively,
call Crimestoppers (an independent charity) anonymously on 0800 555111.
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