‘Terrifying’ figures reveal one borough’s number of unsolved car thefts
A Freedom of Information Request (FOI) has revealed a “terrifying” number of car thefts are going unsolved in one borough.
Information from the FOI showed that 87.6 per cent of car thefts in Lambeth went unsolved in the past three years.
Only 1.3 per cent resulted in a charge or summons, meaning that just one in 76 car thefts in Lambeth was solved by the Met.
The FOI also showed that 2,297 car theft cases in Lambeth were closed between January 2020 to December 2022 without a suspect being identified – equivalent to nearly two car thefts in the borough going unsolved every day.
Councillor Donna Harris, leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrat council group, which submitted the FOI, said: “These new figures are terrifying for people in Lambeth.
“Community policing has been decimated and the Met has been placed into special measures.
“Victims of crime are being left to fend for themselves, meaning criminals act with impunity and victims are denied justice.
“The Mayor of London has more police officers per 100,000 residents than any other police force, yet the number of car thefts being solved in Lambeth is amongg the worst in the UK.”
It follows previous research from the Liberal Democrats which showed that police failed to attend three in four car thefts nationwide last year.
Nationally, just one in 30 car thefts resulted in a suspect being charged.
A Met spokesman said: “The Met recognises the impact that motor vehicle crime can have on victims, especially those who rely on vehicles for either means of employment or the routine of daily life.
“Any allegation of crime reported to the police will be assessed to see if there are any viable lines of enquiry including forensic opportunities that can be progressed.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe and Sadiq is clear that vehicle theft can have a big impact on victims – including the livelihoods of many Londoners – and must be treated seriously.
“Whilst vehicle thefts have fallen in Lambeth over the last year, the Mayor is determined to do more and work with the Met and new Commissioner to restore neighbourhood policing and is funding 1,300 additional Town Centre officers and 500 new Police Community Support Officers to prevent crime and be there for when communities need them most.
“Record funding from City Hall has also helped officer numbers rise to the highest levels in history.”
(Picture: Vitali Adutskevich/Pexels)