OPAL-ACE
ACE Opal – A New Specialist Police Unit to target Construction Plant & Agricultural Machinery theft
The theft of equipment from construction sites and farms has a significant impact on the businesses targeted from both the loss and replacement of the equipment taken, in addition to the cost of temporarily reduced activity and downtime within these sectors.
The launch of the Construction Equipment Association (CEA) owned Official CESAR Scheme (www.cesarscheme.org) back in 2007, has had a major impact on criminality across both sectors, driving down theft significantly for machinery brands that have adopted the Scheme. Now, with the launch of a new Police Unit, CESAR will have an ally in its fight against this type of crime.
The newly established dedicated Agricultural and Construction Equipment (ACE) Opal specialist police unit will be managed and operated within Opal, which is the national intelligence unit focused on Serious Organised Acquisitive Crime (SOAC) across the UK.
The ‘foundation’ launch of ACE took place in April 2021, where the new unit was introduced to police forces nationwide, key partners and collaborating trade associations. The key message was that cross industry cooperation is crucial for the success of the new unit. The ACE team is here to support the wider problem solving approach through partnership – ‘prevention is better than the cure’.
