New recruit joins CESAR network team
Clive Harris to help deliver new specialist police unit to combat construction plant theft
THE Construction Equipment Association (CEA), the UK trade association for construction equipment manufacturers and importers, and their supply chains, has announced the appointment of Clive Harris as a consultant to help deliver a new specialist police unit to combat construction and agricultural equipment crime.
Mr Harris was formerly the agricultural vehicle specialist for leading insurers NFU Mutual and an insurer representative on the CESAR Review Committee, which supervised the work of the successful official plant-marking and registration scheme, CESAR.
Designed to combat plant theft, CESAR holds a database containing information on more than 320,000 construction and agricultural machines.
Welcoming Mr Harris’s appointment, CEA chief executive Rob Oliver said: ‘We have worked with Clive for some years over which time he has been the source of excellent advice and support on plant theft and insurer issues.
‘The opportunity for him to join ‘Team CEA’ was too good to miss. He will help manage the relationship between the insurance sector, the police and other stakeholders in relation to the CESAR programme.
‘This comes at an important time in the run up to the creation of a new police resource to build on the work of the old PANIU (Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit) organization which suspended operations earlier this year.’
Mr Harris said: ‘I am delighted at being given the opportunity to continue working with the CEA, the Agricultural Equipment Association and all CESAR stakeholders to make a positive contribution.
‘We live in a world of constant change and the suspension of PANIU was disappointing. However, I’m confident that the current work going on behind the scenes will create a very strong successor to challenge plant, construction and agricultural vehicle theft, taking it to the next level through stronger alliances.’
Keith Dolbear, chair of the CEA’s CESAR Review Committee, added: ‘Whilst the details concerning the formation of a new dedicated police unit are being worked through, the industry can continue to call on the expertise of the CESAR team.
‘This includes the 24/7 ‘hotline’ and the continuing links with police forces up and down the country. Support for the CESAR scheme and its growing number of applications has never been stronger.’
The CESAR hotline number is 03450 700 440.
