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Summer 2021 17 The unit will focus on the offences committed by organised crime groups which are part of a series and involve cross border offending. By developing proactive working relationships with law enforcement, partner and business agencies, the ACE Unit will work to reduce the theft of stolen plant and agricultural equipment and maximise the recovery of stolen equipment, both nationally and internationally. USE OF INTELLIGENCE Officers from ACE will work to develop, collate and co-ordinate intelligence from a variety of sources to identify and disrupt organised criminality and target those involved in these thefts, also identify any current and emerging crime trends and threats. The reason ACE was established on the back of Opal is because the unit already has a foothold nationally and intelligence can be shared between the forces. The ACE national intelligence hub team will work closely with the industry, developing positive working relationships to support and promote schemes such as CESAR to prevent theft and maximise the recovery of stolen equipment. Detective Inspector Ernie Locke, Opal National Intelligence Unit, Serious and Organised Acquisitive Crime, said the new ACE Unit benefits from a dedicated intelligence team which includes Analyst Luke Rawlings, with support from Superintendent Andy Huddleston, PSCO Pete Johnson, who has a vast knowledge of rural crime and the latest recruit who will be joining the team in the near future, Intelligence Officer Scott Jeffreys. “By working smarter and in partnership with law enforcement agencies, government agencies, business and industry also, academia it will deliver a whole system approach in tackling agriculture and construction equipment theft,” he said. “It is anticipated that the ACE team will continue to grow as their contribution is recognised in this area of criminality. “Our role has many facets including problem-solving skills, delivering the four Ps strategy of prepare, prevent, protect and pursue, identifying emerging threats and intelligence on a regional, national and international level. By working collaboratively, sharing best practice and the timely sharing of information, the ACE unit will help reduce agricultural and construction equipment theft. It’s a very exciting time for the team and I would like to thank all the ‘donors’ that made establishing this newUnit possible.” Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, NPCC lead for Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime said the launch of the new unit will help improve the response of UK policing in tackling organised theft of plant and agricultural equipment. “The investment will help develop a detailed intelligence picture which will support forces in reducing criminality in this area.We are really grateful for the strong support of partners such as the CEA, the AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) and the insurance industry and welcome their commitment to developing a strong working relationship moving forward,” she said. Superintendent Andy Huddleston, NPCC Lead for Agricultural Machinery Theft agreed. He said: “The launch of the ACE team will massively help the fight against agricultural machinery theft - the sharing of intelligence and targeting of Organised Crime Groups in this specialist area of thefts is key. I very much look forward to working with the team and the operational benefits this will bring to UK policing.” LOSSES RUN TO MILLIONS The NPCC lead for Wildlife Crime and Rural Affairs, Deputy Chief Constable Debbie Ford, NPCC lead for Wildlife Crime and Rural Affairs, said she was grateful to all those involved in getting the unit off the ground. “The cost of agricultural machinery theft can exceed £30 million a year and that issue is growing all the time, therefore the importance of the ACE team cannot be underestimated. The effort that went into getting it up and running will hopefully pay dividends in tackling this serious issue,” she said. “It’s really important to our communities we know the issues that affect our rural areas and this is a real opportunity to be a defining moment in tackling organised rural criminality.” The Unit is funded jointly with donations from the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) and a group of insurance companies, including Allianz, Aviva, Axa, HSB Engineering Insurance, NFU Mutual and QBE, with a specific interest in the construction plant and agricultural sectors. Gary Thom from Aviva, one of the donor insurers, is delighted that the new Unit is now live. He said: “It is great news that the launch of the new ACE police unit is being announced. A team dedicated to reducing theft of plant and equipment, and the consequences that has for the victims of crime, is a very welcome development. “The launch of the new unit is also very timely, as the country recovers from the pandemic and returns to more normal levels of activity with the potential that brings for increased criminality. I appreciate the efforts by all parties involved.” Rob Oliver, Chief Executive of the CEA, and Stephen Howarth, Agricultural Economist at the AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) are both looking forward to a strong working relationship between ACE, the CEA and the wider construction industry. “Stakeholders through the industry have been keenly awaiting this initiative to come to fruition, so it is great that it is now in operation with the partnership with Opal. We will be engaging with companies and organisations, such as CITS (Combined Industry Theft Solutions), to support the work of ACE in what is an evolving criminal threat,” said Rob. Stephen added: “As well as the financial cost, theft of agricultural vehicles can be incredibly disruptive to farm businesses, who often need to carry out activities in a limited time window, often at short notice. Therefore, we welcome the new ACE team and look forward to working with them to drive down this significant element of rural crime.” The first ‘in person’ meeting of the ACE team, manufacturers, operators, hirers and insurers took place on July 22nd. << “Stakeholders through the industry have been keenly awaiting this initiative to come to fruition.”