A shocking four out of five car thefts are going unsolved by the police, leaving criminals who break into vehicles to roam free. A staggering 24,837 car thefts remained unresolved in just a three-month span last year, as per research conducted by the Liberal Democrats.
This accounts for nearly 78.5 per cent – or four in five – of the total 31,654 thefts that occurred, the party revealed. Only a meagre 2.8 per cent of cases resulted in someone being charged or summoned. London topped the list with the Metropolitan Police failing to solve an astounding 90 per cent of all reported car thefts. South Yorkshire was a close second with 85 per cent of thefts remaining unsolved.
Essex, Wiltshire, Sussex and Hertfordshire also reported that at least 80 per cent of car thefts were unsolved in the quarter ending June 2024. The Lib Dems pointed fingers at the former Tory government for cutting local police numbers, and urged the new Labour government to restore community policing.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
As part of the PM’s Plan for Change, Keir Starmer has set a target to deploy 13,000 additional officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood roles across England and Wales during this Parliament, reports the Mirror. Every neighbourhood has been promised a named police officer to help combat local crime under Labour’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will also establish a new performance unit at the Home Office to review policing standards across the UK.
To see the number of unsolved car thefts in your area, take a look at the map below.
Lib Dem Home Affairs spokeswoman Lisa Smart has expressed grave concerns over the high number of unsolved car thefts, remarking: “Tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales are being left without the justice they deserve, with a staggeringly high number of car thefts going unsolved, and thieves getting away scot free.”
She added that this alarming trend must stop, saying, “This cannot continue. Every victim of a crime deserves to feel safe and protected by the police, but unfortunately after brutal cuts to community police officers that is far from the truth. We urge the new government to change the course by getting tough on crime, investing properly in local neighbourhood policing and keeping communities safe.”
In response to the escalating situation, a Home Office spokesperson stated: “Vehicle theft is a distressing crime and we understand the impact it has on individuals, businesses and industry. We are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to prevent and reduce vehicle crime nationally through a National Vehicle Crime Working Group. This includes training police officers on methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles and working with industry to prevent theft.”
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