‘Form A Squad’ – 2019 – Ineffective Action

A Vehicle Crime Taskforce (VCT)

The VCT was to tackle the ‘shocking’ rise in car crime and then Policing Minister, Nick Hurd, chaired the first meeting of new group which established ‘actions’ and was to meet every 6 months

The VCT met 01/2019 … never again! It appears vehicle theft was ignored.

More about vehicle theft concerns and VCT can be read at MotoringReseach.com. Some headline comments were:

• The inclusion of West Midlands Police is significant, as the force area has suffered a staggering 100 per cent increase in vehicle thefts during the past four years.
  • the WMP Police & Crime commissioner was to ‘spearhead’ the VCT – but it came to nothing, never met again!
• Keyless entry ‘relay attacks’ have also been described as an ‘epidemic’ by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
  • Odd … WMP possess no records about theft methodology. Whilst the VCT acknowledged better recording was required, it appears no one can state how these thefts are occurring. It appears the comments are no more than supposition and possibly intended to distract … divert attention and blame form law enforcement and place it at the feet of manufacturers.
• Policing Minister Nick Hurd said: “We are determined to take swift and decisive action on emerging crime threats. With rates of vehicle theft increasing, I am keen to ensure everything is being done to prevent these crimes”
  • ‘swift action’? What action … what was done to prevent vehicle theft? 5 years on and vehicle theft has increased.
• The taskforce aims to improve standards in vehicle security, along with investigating how best to prevent criminals from exploiting the salvage process for written-off cars.
  • Why improve security? How is vehicle security the issue?
• It (the VCT) is due to meet again in six months’ time.
  • It did not, has not … though it took a while to obtain this admission.

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01/2019 – Car thefts in the West Midlands had almost tripled since 2015 (source: WMPCC).

02/2019 – VCT meeting established objectives:

• improve vehicle security standards (keyless car concerns)
• introduce tough new procedures for the salvage industry
• restrict the sale of tools used to steal cars

02/2019 – The West Midland Police Crime Commissioner (WMPCC) was the ‘spearhead’ the VCT which would meet every 6 months. Read more here.

Chaired by the Home Office, to meet every 6 months and include key players in the car industry, the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner (WMPCC) was the ‘spearhead’ the action. Other than WMP (West Midlands Police) the Met’ (London) police would be represented. Only:

• the Met’ was not present
• the taskforce never met again!

It is evident, from the brief meeting records, the taskforce identified issues and planned action to address matters but it appears nothing came of this … the ‘Task-Farce’ ‘faded away. It took us several approaches to Authorities to learn of the demise. Requests for information form the WMP and WMPCC revealed little – read more here.

It appears the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) may have taken up the role but their meeting(s) gave rise to scant records and … vehicle thefts continued to increase. Either:

• the activity was ineffective or
• nothing was done.

09/2022 – more than 3 years after the establishment of the VCT (above) a ‘ new vehicle crime taskforce was launched by West Midlands Police in response to rising levels of car theft‘ (Express & Star). In 2019, vehicle thefts had risen such that a VCT was considered necessary (above). However, the VCT never met again, seemingly their actions were not progressed. Some 3 years later WMP decided to ‘go it alone’ and create their own VCT. However:

In the West Midlands, vehicle theft has surged over the past five years, with the region experiencing some of the highest car crime rates in the UK.

According to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), annual vehicle thefts increased sharply, with over 15,448 reported cases by June 2023, representing a 17% increase from the previous year, which had already seen 13,216 thefts – source Express & Star.

This upward trend continues from a baseline of 10,484 reported cases in 2018, marking a significant rise* over five years.

*from about 10,400 to 15,400 … approx. 50%!

29/08/2023 – The NPCC’s article ‘Putting the brakes on keyless car theft‘ appears to be little more than a regurgitation of comments made 4 years earlier! This suggests none of the known issues, giving rise to the 2019 VCT, had been addressed. Is it any wonder vehicle thefts increased?

20/12/2023 – A request of the NPCC for information about the VCT. Nothing was held but comments were made which can be read here. Of note:

• the ‘intention‘ of the VCT was to meet every 6 months. Seemingly this intention changed!
• the NPCC that they have no knowledge of the group (VCT).
• the NPCC and can find no records of the taskforce from their predecessor.
• similar work is/was conducted by the NPCC – but meetings are not minuted i.e. there are no records of these meetings!
• the Home Office may be able to assist

The National lead on vehicle crime hold no information relating to, has no knowledge of, a vehicle crime task force involving the Home Office, ‘spearheaded’ by WMP.

Did the National Vehicle Crime Working Group (NVCWG) step into the VCT’s shoes? From the above, it appears not – read more here about their 2022/23 activities – the ‘actions’ and ‘meeting notes’.

06/2024 … ‘form a squad’ – a new VCT?