New data has shown just how many car thieves get away with it in the UK. In some areas, a staggering 90 per cent of vehicle thefts do not end with a conviction.
And in the West Midlands, the figure is at 75.6 per cent meanign that many car owners never see justice after their car has been taken. Research by the Liberal Democrats found that 24,837 car thefts went unsolved in just a three-month period last year.
Nearly four in five of the 31,654 total thefts that took place were unsolved across the UK. Out of these, just 2.8 per cent of cases resulted in someone being charged or summonsed.
The worst area was London with the Metropolitan Police force failing to solve 90 per cent of all reported car thefts. South Yorkshire saw 85 per cent of car theft going unsolved followed by Essex, Wiltshire, Sussex and Hertfordshire where at least 80 per cent of car thefts were unsolved in the quarter ending June 2024.
The Liberal Democrats have blamed the former Tory government for the findings after they slashed local police numbers and have called on Labour to restore community policing.
Lib Dem Home Affairs spokeswoman, Lisa Smart, said: “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.
“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.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer set a target to deliver 13,000 additional officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood roles in England and Wales over this Parliament. A named police officer has been promised for every neighbourhood to help tackle local crime.
Labour’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is set to establish a new performance unit at the Home Office to end the postcode lottery in police standards across the country.
A Home Office spokesman said: “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.”