Stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker, is strengthening its anti-crime capabilities with the appointment of Steve Whittaker as Police Liaison Manager. Working with the Head of Police Liaison, Clive Wain, Steve’s more than 30 years’ knowledge and experience of organised crime, brings invaluable insight to the Tracker team.
Steve joins Tracker having spent 32 years in the police, in Leicestershire and South Yorkshire Police, achieving the role of Detective Chief Inspector. During his time as a Detective, he worked as the crime manager in Sheffield, where he was responsible for dealing with firearm cases, serious and complex investigations, burglary, robbery and vehicle crime.
Steve implemented massive changes in the restructure of the District and CID working practices. He has also led numerous multi-agency crime reduction initiatives, including creating and delivering a department that dealt with all firearm offences and discharges across the South Yorkshire force, reducing firearm discharge by 35%.
Steve, was also a Senior investigating officer in charge of numerous Homicide investigations, leading to numerous convictions for murder / manslaughter, where offenders received over 220 years imprisonment.
More recently, Steve worked for the National Crime Agency managing a team of investigators on historical child abuse cases.
Commenting on his new role, Steve said: “This is a new chapter in my career, where I can bring the wealth of my experience to assist Tracker in tackling the problem of vehicle crime. Working under the leadership of Clive Wain, I look forward to using my expertise in the area of vehicle crime and organised crime networks, as well as help build on already successful partnerships with UK police forces.”
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker added: “The appointment of Steve Whittaker is a great asset to the Tracker Police Liaison team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help support the innovative ways we are building new commercial partnerships as well as broader collaboration with the police at a local, regional and national level. This appointment marks our continued commitment to help identify and close the net on organised vehicle crime networks.”
Tracker is the only stolen vehicle recovery provider offering vehicle tracking systems that are supported nationwide by UK police forces. Over the past 27 years Tracker and the police have successfully recovered 26,777 stolen vehicles with a total value of £561m, recovered 2,545 other non-Tracker-fitted stolen vehicles and made 2,801 arrests.
Working like an electronic homing device, a Tracker covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle. There is no visible aerial, so the thief won’t know it’s there. The combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology, unique to Tracker, makes its units resistant to GPS/GSM jamming, confirming Tracker as a superior security defence against determined thieves.
