If you nick copper, expect the coppers to nick you
We've something of a crimewave on the show this week (Monday, 5 December 2011 at 19:30hrs GMT).
The boys and girls in blue show us just what they face when trying to tackle cable thieves and deer poachers. Meanwhile in the largest force area in England we are out with the patrols as officers adapt to big budget cuts.
Be prepared for lots of blue flashing lights and night vision cameras.
Often the common thread has been cable thieves. Even though the wires are live they risk life and limb to cut into them to get at the copper which is in such high demand.
The North East is the worst region in Britain for cable theft - something that has prompted and to almost quadruple the resources they devote to detecting and deterring the criminals.
The police say that after terrorism metal theft is their biggest priority.
In officers not only patrol hotspots they also target known offenders and give them unannounced home visits to let them know that if they nick copper they can expect a copper to nick them.
It is a very costly problem. Since April this year the has spent more than £300,000 replacing the stolen wiring. As passengers of course we ultimately pick up that bill.
Not that we are alone in this. The rise in global metal prices has fuelled this type of crime and it is indeed a global problem.
In Fresno, USA they have started as so many were being lifted and taken away.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Here in the UK the in which a seller will have to prove their identity.
It will be interesting to see if trying to choke the supply chain will have an effect and those of us hoping to use the train or metro can have confidence we'll get to our destination on time.
Also in the show - How have been coping with the budget cuts and how deer poachers in West Cumbria can expect the long arm of the law to catch up with them.
As always all comments are welcome on the blog.
Hi, I'm Chris Jackson - presenter of the North East & Cumbria's very own current affairs programme, Inside Out. Welcome to my blog where I'll reveal some behind-the-scenes goings-on and share my thoughts on the stories we cover.
Comment number 1.
At 5th Dec 2011, Blade1000 wrote:It's easy for the transport providers to blame cable theft for all delays on the the transport networks and as this is a political hot topic we all tend to listen. However how many delays are really down to simple ineffectivness of our transport infrastructure?
I agree theft of metal has reached a level that is not acceptable but large scale cable theft must be organised crime and not just petty theft. Network operators and utility companies NEED to look closer to home to solve some of the theft problems and stop trying to simply pass the buck and blame others for major internal issues.
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