Car crime in West Mercia falls by 10 per cent
Car crime in the region covered by West Mercia Police has fallen 10 per cent in the past year, bucking the national trend.
New figures show Dyfed-Powys Police also had one of the lowest rates of vehicle crime in the country.
Official figures out today show there were 450,509 vehicle crimes reported to the 42 police forces in England and Wales last year, a two per cent spike from 2017.
West Mercia Police bucked the trend. It saw a 10 per cent fall in car crime according to the figures, at 5,612, while Dyfed-Powys Police had one of the lowest rates of vehicle crime in the country at 1,037.
West Midlands and Staffordshire police forces have both reported a rise in car crime.
West Midlands Police today vowed to lead the way when it comes to clamping down on the epidemic of car crime.
Car thefts have shot up across the region over the past year, with new figures showing the force area dealing with 37,202 incidents – up three per cent.
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It has led to drastic action from the region’s police and crime commissioner David Jamieson, who has revealed he is working on a national level to examine ways to reduce the torrent of thefts.
Mr Jamieson has teamed up with the National Vehicle Crime Taskforce, which is headed by Policing Minister Nick Hurd, and is aimed at developing a stronger response to vehicle crime.
Official figures out today show there were 450,509 vehicle crimes reported to the 42 police forces in England and Wales last year, a two per cent spike from 2017.
They include 5,687 crimes recorded in the Staffordshire Police area, up four per cent on the previous year.
Forefront
Mr Jamieson said his force was at the forefront of the national drive to reduce car crime. He added: “We know that much of the rise in vehicle theft is being driven by organised criminals who are often also linked to issues such as drugs, cannabis farms and county lines.
“West Midlands Police have been cracking down on ‘chop shops’, where vehicles are dismantled and used to repair cars which have been bought through salvage auctions.
“I have been running a national campaign to tackle vehicle crime. Including bringing together car manufacturers to challenge them on why so many of their vehicles seem to be stolen using security flaws in their ‘keyless’ technology.
“I am now working closely with the Government’s National Vehicle Crime Taskforce which is looking at how we can address vehicle crime from all angles.
“From criminals abusing the salvage industry to buy written off cars for cash, tightening vehicle security to legislative changes which will look at ensuring that all vehicles being put back on the road requiring a proper safety check and a new MOT.”
The force has made more than 1,000 arrests related to car crime in just five months, with the majority of them linked to so-called ‘chop shops’ and thefts to order. As part of Operation Cantil, which has been running since last September, more than 600 vehicles have been recovered and officers have been involved in more than 300 pursuits of stolen vehicles.
The national taskforce, which also involves representatives from the motor industry, is set to publish a vehicle crime action plan featuring new measures in the coming months.
Mr 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.
“Drawing together the police, industry and government proved to be a successful way to see what could be done to tackle moped crime and I’m eager to see the results of applying a similar model to vehicle theft.I’m confident the taskforce will significantly strengthen our response.”
