Grampian Police launch trailer campaign

Grampian Police have joined forces with Balgownie Machine Centre and JRD Equipment in a joint initiative to warn owners of trailers in South Aberdeenshire that unless they introduce basic crime prevention measures they may fall victim to thieves who are looking for easy targets.

Andrew Jamieson, a Crime Prevention Officer for the South Aberdeenshire Command Area, said:

"In the last 12 months there have been over 30 reports of trailers being stolen throughout the South Aberdeenshire area. This figure is almost half of all trailer thefts in the whole Force area, and is more than the thefts in North Aberdeenshire and Moray put together.

"Trailers have been stolen from farm buildings, commercial car parks and even from driveways outside owners homes. Regrettably, in almost all these incidents the thief was assisted because there were no security measures in place and the trailers were simply wheeled away."

What you should do to protect your trailer:

• Park trailer out of sight in a building/secure compound when not in use
• Use hitch locks/wheel clamps or shackle trailer to a fixed object
• Mark or customise trailer to make it less attractive to thieves
• Register new trailers with the manufacturer/equipment register database
• Ask for proof of ownership of second hand trailers and be suspicious of very cheap trailers. Never view a trailer in a public car park/service station
• If buying privately, always go to the seller's house. A thief will not want to be traced to an address
• Check for signs of tampering or removal of the chassis/serial number
• Keep receipts/other documentation/photographs of your trailer in a safe place to assist any Police enquiry should your trailer be stolen

Further advice on trailer security or any other crime prevention measure can be obtained from your local Police Office.