Datatag Latest News
CESAR SCHEME WINS INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AWARD
Equipment and plant theft - estimated in the Construction sector alone to be running at a massive annual total of £300-500m per annum – is a growing problem within the building and civil engineering sectors. To combat this CESAR was originally proposed by the Plant Theft Action Group (PTAG). It has the official support of the Home Office and ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers). The CEA (Construction Equipment Association), the scheme’s promoter, is the leading trade association representing equipment and machinery manufacturers and associated UK industries. The CESAR scheme operator is Datatag, the European market leader in Security Identity Systems within the Construction and Plant sectors and the Leisure and Recreational sectors.
The Peter Leigh Award was presented to Colin Wakeham of Bell Equipment UK Ltd on behalf of the CEA (the CESAR scheme promoter). Also there to collect the award was Kevin Howells of Datatag ID Ltd (the scheme operator) and to Ian Elliot a Crime Prevention Officer for the Metropolitan Police. For Datatag, this was a unique double success, since they had previously won the 2001 Keith English Award for outstanding contribution to automotive crime fighting.
Said Colin Wakeham of Bell Equipment UK "I am Honoured on behalf of the CEA Council to receive this award in recognition of the successful launch and roll out within the Construction Industry of the CESAR scheme. At the recent CEA AGM we announced that over 10,000 CESAR Kits had been sold. Sales have been made to both Original Equipment Manufactures and Major Plant Hire Companies. There are now over 250 trained technicians country wide able to fit the CESAR kits. Being the only plant security marking system approved by the police, together with the service provider Datatag with its 24 7 cover, and all registered plant data on the Police National Computer, we are providing both a deterrent to the thief, and a easy means of identifying stolen plant".
Ken German President of IAATI UK congratulates CESAR in this outstanding achievement: "Much of this country has been built using construction equipment but these valuable machines have always been under threat to theft and vulnerable to organised criminality. The UK authorities have taken speedy and positive action in creating the CESAR identification scheme, a brilliant partnership enterprise that will ensure the theft of these machines is reduced. IAATI recognises this project as a positive and progressive step towards crime reduction and therefore awards our prestigious 'Peter Leigh' trophy to the CEA."
