Fleets who fall victim to crime are being urged to contribute to a new national online database being launched by van security specialists TVL Security and backed by police.
The ‘Tell TVL’ initiative asks those who have had their vans stolen or items stolen from their vans to report full details including images at www.tellTVL.co.uk, in addition to reporting the crime to police.
By securely recording detailed data, as agreed with the National Business Crime Centre, Tell TVL will create a real-time national database capturing the scale and nature of van crime.
All data will be collated and shared with police in support of central efforts to crackdown on van crime.
In addition, registered users will be able to get free anonymised data reports highlighting crime hotspots and receive targeted crime prevention advice based on trends in entry methods so drivers can be alert to all potential risks.
TVL Security’s managing director, Laura Moran, said: “Unfortunately, van crime in towns and cities across the UK continues to soar and we are often the first port of call for drivers and fleets looking to increase security after falling victim to theft.
“That means on a daily basis we see how much these crimes impact hard-working employees, sole traders and business owners. But because police databases are organised regionally, there isn’t a true national picture of the scale of the problem. And because there isn’t a standard way to capture details of van crime including methods used to gain entry, drivers and owners don’t currently know what to look out for.
“We think it’s about time drivers and fleet owners were given a chance to join forces against the criminals who cause them so much damage, financially and emotionally.
“That’s why we’ve created Tell TVL. It’s a way for businesses to fight back. Thieves thrive on silence, so we want to make some noise.”
Tell TVL, which will officially launch on June 15, is hosted in partnership with the International Security Register (ISR) and guarantees data provided won’t be shared with anyone except the police.
Website users, who aren’t obliged to give their contact details, will also be able to access the latest vehicle crime prevention advice from the National Business Crime Centre.
Moran said: “Our hope is that by putting the spotlight on this very real issue affecting thousands of British businesses every week, together we will be able to prevent even more from becoming victims.
“The more reports we get the stronger our community will become and the more impact we will be able to have.”
