Squirrel CCTV systems are being used in the UK to counteract the escalating problem of metal theft in private businesses and on the vulnerable railway network
As the cost of precious materials continues to rise so do the instances of metal theft. The cost of raw materials such as copper and aluminium is at an all time high with prices rising to more than three times that of 2003. Most of us are aware of this through the many recycling initiatives that are in place today but how many of us are actually aware that there is a darker side to recycling? Metals such as copper and aluminium are being stolen and then sold on to be recycled. This type of crime has risen by more than 100% across the UK in a year requiring local authorities to adopt some hi-tech methods in an effort to try and deal with the problem. Asset ID supply their Squirrel covert CCTV system to many UK authorities, capturing the faces and number plates of the perpetrators for evidence in court but it's not just the local authorities that are suffering. Network Rail are losing millions of pounds from the theft of its cables, causing major disruption to the national rail network that is affecting all of us. In an effort to reduce this type of criminal activity, Asset ID are supplying 'overt' Squirrel recording systems capable of recording images of cable theft activity. They also send an SMS alert with e-mail attachments to ensure that the British Transport Police are only deployed to site after an incident has been verified. Having a reliable system to capture the evidence is vital in order to recover the stolen property and prosecute the criminals.
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