Earlier this year the CEA launched its CESAR Champion initiative to recognise the efforts of any police officer who uses the CESAR technology to identify a stolen piece of machinery.
In an effort to encourage more officers to engage with the CESAR Security Scheme, the award is now being given to any officer who completes 10 checks on agricultural or construction machines or ATV’s protected with the security system.
The winner of the very first of the exclusive pin badges is Detective Constable Chris Piggott who is attached to the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS). Chris has completed over 200 machine checks on the CESAR database to help identify suspected stolen machines. Chris was presented with his award by Datatag plant specialist Nick Mayell at a recent multi-agency police stop check, in Staffordshire.
DC Piggott was delighted to be the first winner of the award, he said “I’ve found the CESAR system to be very helpful in identifying stolen machines, especially where offenders have cloned or altered the identity of a machine. As a quick and simple way to identify a machine at the roadside, CESAR cannot be beaten.”
The CESAR Scheme, which is powered by Datatag technology, is a multi-layered system that includes tamper-evident warning and registration plates, RFID transponders, a microdot identification system comprising between 500 and 1,000 microdots which are scattered around the machine, and forensic DNA.
Once fitted, these technologies are almost impossible to remove, and when the machine is registered on Datatag’s secure database, these unique details are accessible to the police 24/7, enabling them to identify any machine at the roadside. The CESAR website also has a ‘hot button’ to instantly report stolen machinery.
Dave Luscombe, CEA’s head of special projects, explained the procedure: “Police officers are the power behind the success of the CESAR Scheme and we are keen to reward officers, who engage with CESAR to help the industry fight back against plant and machinery theft. Any officer who completes 10 checks via the Datatag 24 hour contact centre will be awarded one of these exclusive badges and stake their claim as a CESAR Champion.”
