Car Wars BBC1 Tonight

[towman]

This programme brought back some memories. In 1999 I ran a Met police nominated recovery company. As well as the usual crashes, we often got involved in picking up stolen vehicles as well.

Similar to what was shown on TV tonight, we once had to collect a 40` trailer from tilbury docks which was allegedly loaded with scrap car parts. problem was, tracker was telling the BiB that there was a merc in there somewhere. Anyway, to cut a long story short, once we had removed all the scrap by hand, we found four complete vehicles, three with their roofs cut off and one complete late model car sheltered under a scaffold platform.

The owner had been informed that his car had been found, but told to expect the worst. He was well chuffed when we delivered the car to his dealer the next day without a mark on it! Mind you, the bill for his insurers came to a few bob. Still better for them to fork out a few k to us rather than the cost of a replacement car.

Nice to know that tracker works, although suprised by how many they picked up in Lagos.

>>> Edited by towman on Thursday 3rd June 22:28

[mustard]

Question Re this programme for any BIB that may be able to assist.

Having seen similar programmes in the past, I have wondered whether it is possible to become involved with such units, obviously at the lowest level, or is it a case of joining the Police and moving into this field? (this is what i'm expecting to hear)

I have over 15yrs motor trade experience and would be interested in a change of direction.

TIA

[WMHV70]

I think you'd have to join and work your way up - worth noting though, that the Met stolen vehicle squad only had 22 members, out of a force of 20,000 or so.

That said, many forces are using more and more outside/civilian contractors, so all may not be lost.

[gemini]

more and more police units are being converted to civilian - mine for instance is made up 80% civvy doing criminal interviews

Give them a letter (or two) suggesting that you would be a cheaper but as effective alternative


My guess invited to interview within 3 months!

[mustard]

22 out of 20,000.... rearrange these three words.... resourced under slighty!

[cptsideways]

Do you think there is something that the tracker people are not telling us?

Seems like a tracker is useless if they can container them in an hour or so.

[Dan_The_Man]

Tracker is crap anyway, there are only a handful of places to hide the units, and the freight container does not help either - didnt they do a 20 mins search and find 16 units triggered in Lagos (from the UK) but couldnt do anything about it ??

[MajorPart]

Dan_The_Man said:

Tracker is crap anyway, there are only a handful of places to hide the units, and the freight container does not help either - didnt they do a 20 mins search and find 16 units triggered in Lagos (from the UK) but couldnt do anything about it ??

That is rather hillarious that the Lagos police do nothing about , but very worring that cars with trackers are not being recovered in the UK.

As for the places for hiding them... well obviously the crooks ain't bother about disabling them!!!

[pbrettle]

Once saw a restricted Tracker insurance report that I really shouldnt have - 90% of cars were stolen using the keys and during the night. Therefore the crims had a good few hours to get away and hide the vehicle under cover (well enough to try and prevent the signals from getting to/from the tracker device). Of the several hundred knicked that reported month, about 20 werent recovered......

A worrying thought - keys knicked at night and never see the car again! Not much that the BiB and Tracker can do..... keep those keys hidden away..... please...

[puggit]

Shouldn't they be incorporating GPS in to Trackers now? Might make recovery a bit easier