Car thieves “getting away with it” as 5553 cases go unsolved in Staffordshire since last election
Car thieves “getting away with it” as 5553 cases go unsolved in Staffordshire since last election
The data shows just 6% of car thefts in the Staffordshire police force area resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.
National figures paint a similarly bleak picture, with 76% of car thefts going unsolved since the last election. The number of unsolved car thefts has also soared in this period, with a 42% rise from 76,333 in 2020 to 108,934 last year.
The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Party for these stark figures, arguing that years of ineffective resourcing have decimated frontline policing. This includes their decision to take over 4,500 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015.
The Liberal Democrats are calling for Police and Crime Commissioners to be abolished and the savings invested into frontline policing instead - a move that could generate around £170 million over the course of the next Parliament.
This will help enable a return to proper community policing - where officers are visible, trusted, and have the time to focus on preventing and solving neighbourhood crimes.
Commenting on the figures, Paul Ray, the Liberal Democrat candidate in the constituency covering Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages said:
“I am a local councillor and I know that car theft, in particular of the more expensive cars, is one of the major crimes in our area. I know of people who have had intruders enter their home to try and get the keys to their vehicle. That is terrifying.
Criminals are getting away with almost every car theft in our area - which is an outrageous failure from the Conservative Government. The local police are simply too overstretched.
“We need a return to proper community policing, with visible officers who are preventing and tackling crime.”
Published and promoted by Hugh Warner on behalf of Paul Ray (Liberal Democrats) all at 25 Christ Church Lane, Lichfield WS13 8BA