‘The certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the punishment‘ – The National Institute of Justice.
Vehicle* taking** numbers appear stable, though there is a lack of credible statistics.
- Analysis of ‘taking ‘data is sketchy.
- Vehicle taking methodologies are unrecorded, and guestimates are issued.
- Recovery rates have fallen
- Of those vehicles found, many are little more than a shell.
- Arrest and prosecution are unlikely.
*Reported statistics vary and ‘vehicles’ can include anything from quad bikes to HGVs, as opposed to more commonly taken categories; cars, vans & motorcycles
**‘Taking’ is a muddle of uncollated events; actual stealing, acquisition by fraud & false allegations, with no consideration for accuracy. If knowledge is power (Sir Francis Bacon), the current situation suggests ineffectiveness.
“No punishment has ever possessed enough power of deterrence to prevent the commission of crimes.” ~ Hannah Arendt