Lib Dems warn of automobile theft ‘epidemic’ underneath Tories
T
he Conservatives are overseeing a “car theft epidemic”, the Liberal Democrats have warned, because the get together claimed that round 4 in 5 automobile thefts went unsolved final yr.
Lib Dem chief Sir Ed Davey mentioned that criminals are being allowed to behave with impunity, as he hit out on the Government’s crime document only a day earlier than the native elections.
The get together mentioned that an evaluation of the most recent Home Office figures reveals that 100,258 automobile theft circumstances throughout England and Wales had been closed in 2022 with no suspect being recognized.
The Lib Dems additionally mentioned that police had didn’t attend three in 4 automobile thefts final yr.
This Conservative Government has decimated neighborhood policing, leaving victims of crime to fend for themselves
According to its evaluation, the Metropolitan Police, West Midlands, South Yorkshire and Essex forces all reported greater than 80% of automobile thefts as unsolved.
The Met determine for unsolved automobile thefts was 87.2%.
Sir Ed mentioned: “There is a car theft epidemic across the country, which Conservative ministers are totally failing to tackle.
“Criminal gangs are being allowed to act with impunity while victims are denied justice. The Government is effectively decriminalising car theft by letting these gangs get away with it.
“People just want to know that if their car is stolen or house broken into, the police will turn up and properly investigate it. But this Conservative Government has decimated community policing, leaving victims of crime to fend for themselves.
“The Liberal Democrats want to see a return to proper community policing, making our streets safer and ending this free-for-all for criminals.”
A Home Office spokesperson mentioned: “Car theft is a truly distressing crime and we are closely working with the automotive industry and police to ensure our response is as strong as it can be.
“Recent figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show vehicle crime is down 22% since December 2019.
“We expect police to take vehicle crime seriously and investigate thoroughly to ensure perpetrators are charged and brought to justice.
“Last month we delivered our pledge to put 20,000 more police officers on our streets, and we are supporting police by providing more funding for crime prevention measures, including better street lighting and CCTV.”