Nine in ten car theft cases dropped by the police

MOST car thieves in Birmingham are getting away with the crime – with more than nine in ten cases dropped by police, new data suggests.

The latest official figures from the Home Office reveal that there were 4,150 car thefts committed across Birmingham in 2019/20 – down from 4,874 the year before.

They included 126 cases of aggravated car theft, where the stolen vehicle was then driven dangerously, damage was caused to the vehicle or other property, injured.

Of the 10,241 car thefts recorded across the West Midlands in the last year, just 233 resulted in the suspect being charged or summonsed for the crime – two per cent of the total. It was much more likely for cases to be dropped altogether.

In 9,091 cases the investigation was dropped because no suspect was identified, while 756 saw it dropped because of difficulties with

or someone was evidence. Along with instances where further investigation or prosecution was not deemed in the public interest or was prevented (13 cases), it means 96 per cent of cases saw car thieves get away with the crime altogether.

RAC Insurance spokesman Simon Williams said: “These figures suggest the outlook for people who are unlucky enough to have their cars stolen is bleak as the perpetrator is very unlikely to be brought to justice.

“This may be in part due to the reduction in police officer numbers, but is no doubt also due to the efficiency of well-organised criminal gangs. Opportunistic thefts aside, it’s probably the case that the majority of these cars are being stolen to order or broken up to sell the parts individually.”

The RAC recommends the use of visual deterrents like steering wheel locks, and using a garage to securely store a car.