Car thieves “getting away with it” as just 5% charged

Leicestershire's Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservatives of letting their communities down as new analysis reveals that just 5% of car thefts in Leicestershire result in a charge.

Analysis of official Home Office data by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that In the first three quarters of 2022, 1,365 car thefts were reported in Leicestershire. Only 5% of cases resulted in a charge or summons.

Meanwhile, 926 cases were closed without a suspect being identified - equivalent to 3 car thefts going unsolved in the county every day.National figures paint a similarly grim picture, with only 2% of all car thefts in the first three quarters of 2022 resulting in a charge - down from 4% in that same period in 2022.

Leicestershire' s Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservatives for the stark figures, after years of their cuts have left police forces overstretched and under-resourced.

The party is calling for a return to proper community policing - where officers are visible and have the time to focus on preventing and solving crimes - so that criminals can no longer act with impunity.

Commenting on the figures, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Leicestershire County Council Cllr Michael Mullaney said:

"The Government is asleep at the wheel. Criminals are getting away with almost every car theft in Leicestershire - which is an outrageous failure."

"These thieves have brought misery to our communities, and must be caught and punished. But the local police are too overstretched to actually catch the criminals. By slashing community officer numbers, the Conservatives are only benefiting the criminals. It's estimated Leicestershire Police receive £18 million less in funding than they would if they got the average level of funding. This is another example of how people in Leicestershire are being short-changed and taken for granted by the Conservative government."

"We need a fairly funded police force and a return to proper community policing, with visible officers who are preventing and tackling crime."