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Students help Met Police tackle vehicle theft
With vehicle theft on the rise in London, the Metropolitan Police turned to LSBU students to help develop campaigns to reduce and prevent the crimesOver the last three months, undergraduate and postgraduate marketing students from LSBU have been working with the police to develop campaign ideas to reduce and prevent keyless vehicle and motorcycle theft by spreading crime prevention messages.
Keyless vehicle theft involves motor vehicles being stolen without use of the owner's key. This can be done in a number of ways, such as towing the vehicle away or hot-wiring it. However, an increasing number of electronically-controlled vehicles are being taken by organised criminals exploiting their electronics.
Mopeds and motorcycles are also being stolen by conventional hot-wiring techniques. The suspects will then use them for a short period for joy-riding or as a getaway vehicle in commercial or personal robberies.
Students worked in groups and came up with 12 proposals that were evaluated before a final three were presented at New Scotland Yard to a panel of officers including Camden Borough Commander Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Tucker, Brent Chief Inspector Nick Davies, and Detective Chief Inspector Iain Maddison.
Detective Chief Inspector Iain Maddison – who has been working with LSBU's Course Director of MSc Marketing Communications, Kim Roberts to set the students the task – said: "These students were set an extremely tough brief and a very tight timescale in which to develop their ideas, but they certainly rose to the challenge. Some of the ideas put forward by the final groups included smart phone applications, talking signs and shareable social media content.
"The Met Police will now consider these ideas and look at how they might be incorporated in future campaigns. We are really grateful to the LSBU and the students for their hard work in presenting possible solutions to real challenges."
Each of the students who took part in the presentations was given a letter of thanks from the Metropolitan Police for their efforts, while winning teams were awarded certificates of commendation and congratulatory letters.