‘Disturbing’ figures show huge rise in motor vehicle thefts in Sussex

Thefts of motor vehicles in Sussex have risen by more than 70 per cent in the last four years, new figures show.
Sussex PoliceSussex Police
Sussex Police

Drivers are being urged to do more to make their car a less easy target for opportunistic thieves.

Sussex Police dealt with 2,171 stolen vehicle reports in 2018-19, according to figures obtained by RAC Insurance – 76 per cent more than the 1,231 cases seen in ​2014-15.

The figures mirror the trend seen across the country.

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Some 152,541 vehicles were stolen in 2018-19 across Great Britain, a rise of 56 per cent compared to 2014-15.

All but three of the 41 police forces that responded to Freedom of Information requests recorded an increase in thefts over the period.

Simon Williams, from RAC Insurance, said the figures painted ‘a disturbing figure’.

“Vehicle thefts are on the rise almost everywhere, and in some parts of the country numbers are rocketing,” he said.

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“It’s also not the case that the rises in crime are confined to a few larger urban areas, with many police forces covering more rural areas also seeing big increases.

“While vehicle crime is at far lower levels today than it was in the early 1990s thanks to improvements in vehicle security, and the number of vehicles licensed to be driven on the UK’s roads is higher than at any point in the past, it’s still concerning that so many more vehicles are being stolen than just a few years ago.”

Government data shows that thieves use a key in nearly half of incidents, indicating that many drivers can do more to protect their vehicles.

Mr Williams went on: “While organised criminal gangs are responsible for a large proportion of crime, thieves will also be opportunistic in nature so the more a driver can do to make their car a less likely target the better.”

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Sussex Police said was aware of and looking to better understand the rise in reported vehicle thefts in Sussex – which is in line with an increase reported nationally.

“Some of the increases in recent years nationally are believed to be due to thefts of vehicles that are easier to steal, such as motorbikes and mopeds that are less likely to have immobilisers,” the spokesman said.

“We take all reports of theft of vehicles seriously and our prevention officers run a number of operations to identify and catch those stealing vehicles across the force.

“Also in response to this emerging issue, the additional precept and uplift funding has led to the creation of the rural crime team.

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“Some of their role will support the force to tackle some of this criminality and a new central tactical enforcement unit is being created to target those involved in organised criminality linked to vehicle crime.”

The spokesman urged members of the public to make sure their vehicles were secured at all times, even when leaving them for a short time.

“Consider using a steering wheel lock for extra visible security, park it in a well lit area open to public view and if possible covered by CCTV,” the spokesman said.

“Also people need to be extra vigilant and to lock all downstairs doors and windows when not at home or before retiring to bed ensure any vehicle keys are well hidden to prevent the theft of vehicles.”