Telecommunications Cables: Theft

(asked on 21st September 2022) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the current prevalence of metal cable theft from telecommunication networks including in rural areas; and what further steps she plans to take to deter such thefts.


Answered by
Jeremy Quin Portrait
Jeremy Quin
This question was answered on 11th October 2022

The Government is concerned at the current prevalence of metal cable theft and is working closely with police and industry partners to drive down acquisitive crime, including metal theft.

The Home Office provided seed corn funding in 2021 to set-up the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership (NICRP). The NICRP ensures national co-ordination of policing and law enforcement partners to tackle crime affecting infrastructure companies including telecommunications and utility companies, rail networks, agricultural and construction companies. The NICRP shares intelligence between police and industry partners to understand emerging trends and share best practice; as well as working with police to target offenders. The NICRP also alerts its members to crimes in local areas to ensure companies can implement crime prevention measures.

The British Transport Police, through the NICRP, has conducted three national weeks of action targeting scrap metal dealers, focused on metal theft, catalytic converter theft and money laundering in the waste industry. This action has resulted in 92 arrests, over 2,000 site visits and recovery of over 1,000 stolen catalytic converters. The NICRP has also trained over 1,600 officers in enforcement powers to deal with scrap metal dealers.

Policing partners have plans for further weeks of actions and we will continue to support the NICRP and NPCC lead for acquisitive crime, ensuring effective prevention and enforcement against metal theft and other crime affecting infrastructure companies.

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