More than a third of businesses have had a van stolen in the last 12 months, according to Logistics UK, which is calling for work by the police, Government and the van industry to help clamp down on thefts.
For its new Van Security Report, launched this week, the organisation collated data from police forces across the UK, as well as real-life examples and insights from van users through a Van Security Survey.
The analysis looks at the number of vans stolen, the number of content thefts from vans and how much this costs businesses per vehicle, and finds that vehicle security is a significant issue for those using vans. Theft on van contents has, on average, cost businesses £4,250 in the last 12 months.
But the effects of van crime are not limited to the impact on costs and productivity, but theft of and from vans can have highly negative impacts on van drivers, colleagues and customers too, according to Logistics UK, which is using its report findings to encourage greater crime prevention and reporting.
Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and urban at Logistics UK, said: “Currently, it is up to individual police forces to decide how to record commercial van crime, resulting in an incomplete picture of the extent of this type of crime. To better highlight the impact of these crimes on van operating businesses, to policy makers at all level of Government, Logistics UK is calling for a UK-wide standard reporting mechanism among all police force areas.”
Logistics UK will also use the data to work with manufacturers to understand what security van operators require and to highlight the impact on van operating businesses to policy makers at all levels of government.
Beedell added: “Logistics UK is also calling for the Home Office to allocate a national crime reporting code to allow better understanding of the scale and reach of this crime and to support better allocation of police resources. It must be recognised that this type of crime is not victimless and its impacts are felt keenly by operators and their employees.”
To access Logistics UK’s report on van crime, click here.
