Less than five per cent of car thefts in region result in a charge despite rise in crime over past year

The Home Office figures show West Midlands Police recorded 15,448 crimes of 'theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle' in the year to June – up 17 per cent from 13,216 thefts the year before.

This was also a rise from the same period five years ago, when 10,484 such crimes were registered in the area.

Meanwhile, Staffordshire Police recorded 2,769 such crimes in the 12 months to June, up 52 per cent from 1,820 thefts the previous year. Five years ago, the figure stood at 1,666.

And the charge rate also remains low for car thefts across the region.

Five per cent of such crimes in Staffordshire have resulted in a charge in the past year, while 72 per cent of cases were closed without the force identifying a suspect.

In the West Midlands, two per cent of car thefts resulted in a charge during the same time-frame, with 81 per cent of cases being closed as a suspect could not be found.

But police bosses today stressed there was a significant amount of work being done to recover stolen property, shut down chop shops and take down the organised groups responsible for those crimes.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "We do not underestimate the impact this crime has on people’s lives and are working hard to bring these offenders to justice.

"With the support of the public we can continue to tackle car crime and shut down chop shops, which act as a market for car thieves.

"So far in 2023, we have arrested hundreds of suspected car criminals and we continue to carry out warrants and take action whenever we receive intelligence about vehicle crime."

Detective Inspector Adam Yates, from Staffordshire Police, said all 10 local policing teams across the county were continuing to proactively investigate vehicle theft on a priority basis.

"This means patrolling hotspot locations, pursuing prolific offenders, working with regional police forces and investigating reports as effectively as possible to make sure we continue to act against those seeking to steal from our communities," he said.

“Vehicle crime can have a profound impact on residents, businesses and livelihoods and we are committed to pursuing offenders and being proactive in our fight against vehicle crime.

“We know that there’s lots more to be done in this area and we’re continuing to investigate new reports and work alongside specialist units and teams to best police our roads on a 24/7 basis.

“Whilst we have experienced an increase in the number of reported vehicle thefts when compared to last year, we have undertaken a significant amount of work to recover stolen property, charge prolific offenders and take down the organised crime groups responsible."

He said following an operation alongside West Midlands Police on October 13, 13 suspects were taken into custody.

"This saw a number of stolen cars recovered, significant evidence being gathered and a number of people charged with offences," Detective Inspector Yates added.

But motoring group AA said the jump in car thefts is a cause for concern.

Gus Park, managing director for AA insurance services, said: "These figures are in danger of getting out of control, which if left to spiral further will have big cost implications in terms of the impact to wider society – let alone the price policy holders pay.

"We urge police chiefs and crime commissioners across the country to create an action plan to crack the case."

Mr Park further suggested drivers should avoid "giving miscreants an easy win", advising them to use steering wheel locks and parking in a garage when possible.

Across England and Wales there were 132,000 vehicle thefts in the year to June – up 13 per cent from 116,000 the year before.

Superintendent Matthew Moscrop – part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council team on vehicle theft – said police chiefs are working to clamp down on the sale of technology used to break into vehicles, and to close routes for selling them once they are stolen.

He said: "Intelligence suggests a large proportion of vehicle theft can be attributed to organised crime groups and there have been a number of successful operations around the country which have led to the discovery of not only stolen vehicles but also ammunition and drugs.

"Tackling vehicle crime needs approaching from several different angles, and we can only achieve this through working closely with our partners in both government and industry," he added.