Motor crime dips by eight per cent as West Mercia Police drives home message

It comes as a Freedom of Information request by website National Scrap Car shows the force recovered 695 stolen vehicles from a total of 8,003 road seizures.

Det Chief Insp Joanne Woods, of West Mercia Police, said targeted patrols helped to achieve an eight per cent reduction in motor crime for the force which covers Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

“Vehicle crime can have a big impact on many communities within the three counties that we serve and we have dedicated teams that work very hard to tackle this issue. I am pleased to see an eight per cent reduction in vehicle crime across our force over the last twelve months, but we will, of course, continue to focus on reducing that number even more.

“In 2022 we launched Operation Enzyme, a targeted initiative which is focussed on cross-border criminality, which so far has resulted in a significant reduction in car key burglary and vehicle crime. Predominately operating across north Worcestershire, which borders both the West Midlands and Warwickshire, officers from different forces are working together to combat a rise in car key burglaries and other vehicle related offences reported.

“This year we also began our ‘hot spots policing’ initiative, which focuses our resources on the places where crime is most concentrated. As part of this initiative officers are conducting targeted patrols in areas where vehicle crime is a concern. The initiative is evidence based and we’re already seeing reduced crime levels in the areas where it’s being used.

“There’s lots of useful information and advice on website about how to keep your vehicle safe.

“The public can be a big help to us when tackling vehicle crime as they often have vital information which can help with our enquiries. I would encourage communities to remain vigilant and to keep reporting vehicle crime and any suspicious activity in your area," she said.

A quarter of the motors seized by West Midlands Police last year were stolen. Staffordshire Police recovered 1,185 stolen vehicles from a total of 7,946 seizures.

The highest area was Dundee which saw 9,090 stolen vehicles recovered.

Dorry Potter, car expert at National Scrap Car said: “Vehicle crime accounted for an overall crime rate of six per 1,000 people in 2023 and according to reports by the DVLA a car is stolen every eight minutes. Our study has shown that these crimes regularly occur in regions all over the country but are particularly high in the West Midlands.