The size of the problem?
In 2019, vehicle thefts appeared to have increased such that the police renewed their interest in the subject. Since the 1990’s, when vehicle thefts exceeded 500,000/annum, theft numbers had been falling, thanks, in the main to vehicle manufacturers and their increased vehicle security. These car designing & building companies were the heroes … how quickly we have forgotten this!
Theft rates fell to below 100,000/annum. What other crime saw such a significant reduction … 80%!
But what really happened?
It appears likely the ‘casual’ thief was deigned-out. We distilled the pool of car criminals; ‘joy-riders’ and the like evaporated leaving behind the steal-for-gain a.k.a. the ‘professional & organised’. Is it likely these specialist thieves relinquished their expertise and moved on? Vehicles were still being stolen.
With a substantial drop in the crime, vehicle theft ceased to be a priority*. Those still nicking motors could carry only with less of a deterrent. Indeed, they may even have benefitted from the removal of the amateurs; competition was removed leaving fewer to supply the demand.
* In recent years, vehicle theft has declined as a priority for UK police forces, largely due to resource constraints and the focus on more violent crimes. This shift has been reflected in a significant drop in conviction rates, with only around 2.2% of vehicle theft cases leading to criminal charges between 2022 and 2023.
Home Office data reveals that just 2.2% of all vehicle thefts result in criminal charges (RAC)