More than 80% of car thefts unsolved in Sussex
The Liberal Democrats want extra community police officers on our streets to tackle the issue
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to bolster community policing in order to reduce the amount of car thefts which are not solved, as the party claimed more than 80% of crimes in Sussex went unsolved within three months.
The party said an analysis of Home Office figures shows on average 78.5% of all car thefts go unsolved - a rate of 25,000 across England and Wales as a whole.
They have argued this is partly because of a lack of police time and resources.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Lisa Smart suggested that "brutal cuts" under the previous administration have left many victims feeling unsafe.
The MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester said:
"Tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales are being left without the justice they deserve, with a staggeringly high number of car thefts going unsolved, and thieves getting away scot-free.
"This cannot continue. Every victim of a crime deserves to feel safe and protected by the police but unfortunately, after brutal cuts to community police officers, that is far from the truth.
"We urge the new Government to change the course by getting tough on crime, investing properly in local neighbourhood policing and keeping communities safe."
Between April and June 2024, 24,837 car thefts went unsolved.
According to the party, the Metropolitan Police had the highest number of unsolved car thefts, with 90% of reports going unsolved.
South Yorkshire followed closely behind with 85% of theft going unsolved. Essex, Wiltshire, Sussex and Hertfordshire also all reported that at least 80% of car thefts were unsolved in the quarter ending June 2024.