OPERATION CHAFFINCH CRACKS DOWN ON CAR THEFT WITHIN SALFORD

Police in Salford are running Operation Chaffinch within the district in a bid to tackle a rise in cars being stolen in the area.

Many of the stolen vehicles go on to be used in other crimes both in Salford and across the rest of the region, others are stolen to order and are either stripped of parts in chop shops or cloned and shipped out of the UK.

Some useful tips to protect your vehicle from theft are:

Store keys away from doors, windows, or any place it can be seen or easily located

Invest in a faraday bag – they are lined with metal material and can block the key’s signal

Invest in a tracking device – it won’t stop your vehicle being stolen, but it can significantly increase the chances of police locating and returning a vehicle to the rightful owner

A steering or wheel lock can be enough of a deterrent to stop a thief

Car theft typically occurs in residential areas during the night – talking to your neighbours can help your community be alert to anyone behaving suspiciously.

Inspector Darren Lomas said:

Quote

 

"Operation Chaffinch will be led by my team and supported by GMP's Roads Policing Unit and partner agencies.

"Keeping people safe is a top priority and we will do everything we can to fight this issue and identify those responsible so we can bring them to face justice.

 

Information can be forwarded to the police by calling 0161 856 6377 quoting incident 2320-02/02/2022, to local neighbourhood sergeant at Peter.MacFarlane@gmp.police.uk, reported online using the LiveChat function at https://crowd.in/PUUFRr, calling 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.