Met 'effectively decriminalising' car crime in London as fewer than 1 per cent of thefts solved

11 July 2022, 08:34 | Updated: 11 July 2022, 08:43

Police in London are "effectively decriminalising" car crimes after it was revealed fewer than one per cent of thefts were solved last year.

Offences such as theft from cars are effectively being screened out by the Metropolitan Police, as they prioritised more serious crimes of violence and sexual abuse in London, it has been warned.

The under-fire force, which was put into special measures last week, solved just 0.5 per cent of thefts from vehicles in the capital last year, according to analysis of Home Office data by The Telegraph.

Figures revealed that of the 55,000 people who reported theft from a vehicle in the capital last year, just 271 crimes were solved.

Only two other major forces - West Midlands and Surrey - had lower charging rates, at 0.4 per cent, while City of London solved none of its 80 car thefts.

Rick Muir, head of the Police Foundation, warned the low charge rate is "effectively decriminalising" the offence.

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He claimed there is "no deterrence" to commit these offences and warned it "might encourage people to commit them in future".

He told The Telegraph policing is going to have to look at its low charge rate and decide whether its approach to the bread and butter crimes is right.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police, which on Friday appointed its new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, was plunged into special measures last week following a litany of failures.

In a letter to acting commissioner Stephen House last week, the boss at HM Inspectorate of Constabulary [HMIC] Matt Parr said there were "several examples of high profile incidents" which raise concerns about the Met's performance and "are likely to have a chilling effect on public trust and confidence in the Met".

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Former counter-terror chief Sir Mark Rowley has been brought in to replace Dame Cressida Dick, who left her post in February following a string of scandals, including the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens.

Reversing low charging rate in crimes such as theft from cars is likely to be part of his plan for Scotland Yard.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “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.”

The spokesman said the force was deploying 650 new officers in “town centre teams” to cut crime and increase confidence in communities through greater police visibility.