Lib Dems call for boost to frontline policing as over 360,000 car thefts go unsolved

EMBARGO: 22.30 Friday 14 June 2024 

• New analysis of Home Office Statistics reveals almost three in four (74%) car thefts have gone unsolved since last general election

• Ed Davey warns of “car theft epidemic” as the crime soars by 42% since 2020

• Liberal Democrats call for Police and Crime Commissioners to be abolished and the £170 million of savings to be invested into frontline policing

A staggering 360,072 car thefts have gone unsolved in England and Wales since the last election, new Liberal Democratanalysis of Home Office statistics has uncovered.

The figures reveal that 74% of motor vehicle theft cases recorded between 2020 and 2023 were closed without a suspect even being identified. Meanwhile, just 4% of cases during this period resulted in a suspect being charged or summoned.

The number of unsolved car thefts has soared during this period, with a 42% rise from 76,333 in 2020 to 108,934 last year.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for Police and Crime Commissioners to be abolished and the savings invested into frontline policing instead - a move that could generate around £170 million over the course of the next Parliament. 

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will announce the new policy on a campaign visit to Surrey today, where just 255 car thefts have been solved since the last election, with 80% of car thefts unsolved. 

The Metropolitan Police recorded the worst outcomes in England and Wales, with a staggering 106,000 car thefts going unsolved in that time period - accounting for 85% of all cases. This was followed by the West Midlands, where 83% of cases went unsolved.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: 

“We are seeing a car theft epidemic after years of Conservative chaos and failing Home Secretaries who have decimated frontline policing. 

“People want to know that if their car is stolen, the police will catch the culprit. But instead, the Conservatives have totally failed to get a grip on crime and let criminals get away with it. 

“The Liberal Democrats would abolish Police and Crime Commissioners and invest the savings in frontline policing instead, giving officers the resources they need to bring criminals to justice.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Full data, broken down by police force, is available here. Data taken from Home Office, Police recorded crime open data Police Force Area tables from year ending March 2013 onwards. 

Data on PCSO workforces is available at: Home Office, ‘Police workforce, England and Wales, 30 September 2023: data tables’, Table 3. 

Scrapping Police and Crime Commissioners is estimated to save £170m over five years, through savings on expenses and office costs