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When ‘Many Requests’ may not mean ‘Many Requests’
A troubling pattern emerging in police use of section 14 FOIA refusals? Freedom of Information Act section 14(1) permits a… Read more
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Home Office Records Reveal NaVCIS Was “Working Month to Month”
Is it still? The Home Office has quietly disclosed correspondence which raises uncomfortable new questions about the financial stability, funding… Read more
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Inside the NPCC’s FoI Referral Unit
When Requesters Become Intelligence When you submit a Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) request to the police, do they simply… Read more
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13. What Better Practice Would Look Like
Are we Looking at the Wrong End of Vehicle Crime? Recovered vehicle cases reveal a wider flaw in how vehicle… Read more
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Stolen in Britain, Sold Abroad
Where do stolen UK vehicles actually go once they disappear? A newly published international report by the Global Initiative Against… Read more
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12. The Low Cost Check That May Save £1,000’s
Buying a vehicle is often one of the largest purchases many people make outside of buying a home. Yet surprisingly… Read more
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11. Good Faith Is Not Enough
Innocence, Title and the Limits of Fairness Many people assume that buying a vehicle honestly should guarantee their right to… Read more
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10. The Power Imbalance
When police officers tell a driver/owner that their vehicle is suspected of being stolen, most people will comply immediately. This… Read more
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Collaboration or Endorsement? A Closer Look at NVCRP Engagement
Collaboration is a recurring theme in discussions about vehicle crime. Police, insurers, manufacturers, technology providers etc. … frequently described as… Read more
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9. Trackers Do More Than Recover Cars
Trackers Preserve Evidence Vehicle trackers are often discussed purely as a theft-recovery tool. Their primary purpose is seen as helping… Read more
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8. The Theft to Recovery Timeline
The Longer the Gap, the Harder the Truth Not all stolen vehicle recoveries are alike. A vehicle recovered within days… Read more
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7. Investigation – Insurers vs. Police
Vehicle theft claims are rarely accepted without scrutiny by insurers. On the contrary, insurers routinely examine the circumstances of a… Read more
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6. The Police (Property) Act:
A route many may never hear about. When police seize property that becomes the subject of competing claims, there is… Read more
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5. Moving the Vehicle Along – Disposal
Do Police Hand Vehicles Over Too Quickly? In many recovered vehicle cases, the central issue is not whether police were… Read more
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Policy Question: Is Automated Weeding Necessary?
In 2024, Gwent advised having put in place a process that would cause weeding to cease. However: This request for… Read more
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4. Police Powers to Seize Do Not Decide Ownership
When police officers seize a vehicle suspected of being stolen, most people assume the matter is legally settled. The vehicle… Read more
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FOI Update: “Not Held” and the Question of Process
A Freedom of Information request submitted to Staffordshire Police in July 2025 has raised a broader procedural question about how… Read more
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3. Who Helps The Innocent?
Should the Original Police Force Normally Handle the Innocent Purchaser’s Crime? When a stolen vehicle is recovered from an innocent… Read more
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Remote Technology and Stolen Vehicles
Capability Without Coordination? Modern vehicles are increasingly connected devices. Many can receive over-the-air updates, transmit diagnostic information, and in some… Read more
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2. The Innocent Purchaser
The Forgotten Victim in Vehicle Recovery When a stolen vehicle is recovered, attention naturally turns to the original theft, to… Read more
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The ICO – running out of time?
A watchdog that cannot keep up risks turning a legal right into a theoretical one The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)… Read more
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1. A Police Crime Report Is Not a Title Decision
When a vehicle is reported stolen, most people assume the legal position is straightforward: the vehicle belongs to the person… Read more
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The Problem With Crime Numbers:
When Allegations Start to Look Like Evidence A crime reference number confirms that something was reported. It does not confirm… Read more
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When Recorded Theft Is Not Believed
In a recent case, a senior reviewing officer recorded doubt that a vehicle theft had occurred. The crime remains recorded.… Read more
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NaVCIS Funding: Still No Specifics
Recent Parliamentary Questions on the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) were intended to clarify how this body is funded… Read more