Staffordshire Police have arrested more than 60 suspects as they continue to clampdown on vehicle crime across Staffordshire.
Officers set about bolstering their arsenal in the fight against vehicle thieves by introducing a dedicated operation; Operation Bormus, to proactively target those responsible back in June 2022.
This commitment was spearheaded by the introduction of their dedicated vehicle crime team in January this year – who are responsible for a 55 percent increase in arrests and more than 10 suspects being charged.
They have been harnessing their expertise in roads policing, forensics, criminal investigations and neighbourhood policing to stop those responsible, including working with colleagues from Central Motorway Policing Group (CMPG), the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) and bordering forces.
Despite neighbourhood crime figures in Staffordshire currently being 16.7 percent below the national baseline, they are continuing to see progress across a number of community priorities including vehicle crime – which has seen police arrest 64 suspects and charge 13 individuals since they launched the operation.
Detective Inspector Andy Bryan from CID said: “It’s really pleasing to see the continued progress being made by officers in this area.
“We’ve taken robust measures to assemble a dedicated vehicle crime team and launch the Bormus initiative in order to best protect the hard-earned belongings of our communities.
“We realise the devastating impact this type of crime can have on residents and businesses and it’s one of the main reasons why we’re continuing to do everything we can to put a stop to those responsible.
“It’s important for us to continue building on these successes by working closely with our partners and policing colleagues to make sure those who seek to steal in Staffordshire are dealt with as effectively as possible.”
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams, said: “I welcome Staffordshire Police’s focus on tackling vehicle crime proactively through the work of the Operation Bormus team.
“I know this is a major cause of concern for many of our communities – having your car stolen can cause significant disruption for individuals, while for smaller businesses, the loss of a van full of tools can directly impact on people’s livelihoods.”
