7 car thefts a day went unsolved by police in Kent and Medway last year' - say Lib Dems

A staggering 65% of car thefts in Kent and Medway went unsolved last year, analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Meanwhile, just 5% resulted in a charge or summons.

The analysis, based on the latest Home Office statistics on crime outcomes, showed that a grand total of 2,512 car theft cases in Kent and Medway were closed in 2022 without a suspect even being identified - equivalent to 7 car thefts going unsolved every day.

It follows previous research from the Liberal Democrats which showed that police failed to even attend 3 in 4 car thefts last year.

Nationally, just one in thirty (3.4%) car thefts resulted in a suspect being charged. Liberal Democrats warned that the government is overseeing a “car theft epidemic”, as criminals act with impunity while victims are denied justice.

The party has slammed the Government for these figures, arguing that years of unnecessary Conservative cuts and putting resources in the wrong places has decimated community policing. Since 2015, the Conservatives have also taken over 4,000 Police Community Support Officers off the streets.

Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to proper community policing - where officers are visible and trusted, with the
time and resources to focus on preventing and solving crimes.

Commenting on the figures, John Castle, Medway Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, said: “These new figures are terrifying for people in Kent and Medway. It shows the extent of a car theft epidemic that the Conservatives are totally failing to tackle.

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 communities safer.”

Medway deserves better.

ENDS
Notes to Editor

Full analysis including a breakdown by force is available here.
Data taken from Home Office: Police recorded crime outcomes open data tables

Previous research on police attendance for car thefts is available here. This data was uncovered by an FOI to all 45 police forces in the UK.