Ford vehicle security experts partnered the Metropolitan Police's motor vehicle crime squad and produced immediate results on a four-week decoy operation in East London.
Two cars were supplied by Ford's technical centre, at Dunton, in Essex, and parked at the ExCel exhibition centre. The Ford Focus and Ford Mondeo were left in prominent positions with equipment such as sat nav devices and mobile phones in view.
When thieves struck, they were caught out by the covert operation which traced criminals' movements and led police to them. Over 25 arrests followed and vehicle crime plummeted by 18 per cent in the ExCel area.
Peter Hyam, Ford vehicle security engineer, said: "This was real-life testing of our vehicles' security systems, which helped to confirm how Ford cars resist break in attacks. The Metropolitan Police benefited from new additions to their armoury in the fight against vehicle crime."
Sgt Andy Richardson, of the Metropolitan Police's motor vehicle crime squad in Stratford, said: "We worked with Ford and a glass replacement company on this highly successful operation to crack down on illegal behaviour against ExCel visitors and local residents. Plans are already underway for a similar collaboration elsewhere in East London."
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