Overview
- Official Commons Library data for April 2024 to March 2025 show 76% of car-theft investigations in England and Wales ended with no suspect identified.
- The Metropolitan Police posted the worst results, with 88.5% of cases unsolved in London, reflecting about a 12% solve rate.
- Across 44 forces, 35 recorded over 60% of car-theft cases closing without a suspect, and 92,958 investigations were ended unsolved.
- The Liberal Democrats proposed a specialist National Crime Agency team that would use ANPR camera data, insurance records and cross-force intelligence to target organised networks.
- The Home Office said vehicle crime fell 12% and cited new laws to ban electronic devices used to steal cars and officer training, with cases such as Essex Police’s Operation Falcon demonstrating successful targeted prosecutions.