Call for ‘car theft crackdown’ as data reveals 74% of cases unsolved in south Wales

Emily Price

Urgent calls have been made for a “national car theft crackdown” after new figures revealed that 74% of cases were left unsolved in south Wales last year.

Serious concerns about police capacity and the growing scale of organised vehicle crime across the south Wales police force area have been raised following the release of the data from the House of Commons Library.

The figures showed a poor picture across all of Wales’ four police force regions.

In the Gwent police force area, 69% of car theft cases went unsolved last year, compared with 51% in north Wales and 38% in Dyfed-Powys.

Car theft has become an increasingly organised crime, with many stolen vehicles rapidly dismantled for parts or trafficked across borders within hours of being taken.

Across south Wales, both urban and rural communities are being affected, with dense residential areas and commuter hotspots in cities and towns targeted by organised gangs.

More rural communities also face longer response times and fewer specialist resources.

Criminals are exploiting major road links such as the M4 to move stolen vehicles quickly out of the region, making it harder for overstretched police forces to disrupt organised car crime networks.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say the new figures underline “an urgent need for better coordination between police forces and national agencies”.

The party is calling for the creation of a “specialist car crime unit based at the National Crime Agency to bring together Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data, insurance and vehicle registration records and intelligence from police forces and border control.

‘Justice’

The proposed unit would focus on disrupting organised car theft gangs, improving vehicle recovery rates, and increasing the proportion of cases resulting in charges.

The party argues that tackling car theft effectively could also help bring down insurance premiums.

Lib Dem Senedd Candidate for Gŵyr Abertawe and Swansea City Councillor, Sam Bennett, said: “Car theft is a real problem across Wales, and it is deeply worrying to see how many cases are going unsolved. Victims have a right to justice rather than unanswered questions, they deserve so much better.

“The previous Conservative government betrayed our communities with years of brutal cuts to local policing, and now the Labour government is turning a blind eye to this growing epidemic.

“The Liberal Democrats are calling for a car theft crackdown to finally catch the criminals who for too long have been getting away scot-free.”

‘Impact’

South Wales Police Vehicle Crime lead, Detective Chief Inspector Chris Evans said: “South Wales Police understands how costly and upsetting being the victim of a vehicle crime can be and is committed to detecting and deterring those responsible.

“The force works closely with neighbouring police forces, the National Crime Agency, NaVCIS, Border Force and the Ports Police in order to target and tackle organised criminality through the highest harm offenders.

“Officers in the community also take the time to educate members of the public on the steps they can take to keep their vehicles and the valuables inside.”

Inspector Darren Crockford of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Central Prevention Hub says the force recognised the significant impact that car theft crimes have on victims.

He said: “While we are pleased to acknowledge that most car thefts reported in the Dyfed-Powys area are resolved by our dedicated teams, we understand that more can be done to prevent these crimes from taking place.

“Over the last 12 months, we have worked particularly closely with our rural communities to conduct crime prevention visits and administer property marking using SelectaDNA kits. This dedicated operation has seen a widespread reduction in reports of rural vehicle thefts in 2025.”

‘Prevention’

Gwent Police Chief Inspector Andrew Boucher says officers are carrying out a range of proactive and preventative policing operations to target offenders and prevent crime.

He said: “We utilise data around current crime trends to organise overt and covert enforcement operations with the aim of identifying perpetrators, gathering evidence, returning stolen property where possible and bringing offenders to justice. Gwent Police’s vehicle crime response is aligned to the national Serious and Organised crime strategy.

“In October this year, we ran a bespoke vehicle crime prevention operation in Blaenau Gwent, which saw neighbourhood officers work with operational local and national partners including the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) and Opal via the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), to seize 40 vehicles, recovering £248,550 worth of stolen assets and make 12 arrests leading to ongoing investigations

“In Gwent, we also have an acquisitive crime (We Don’t Buy Crime) team who focus on delivering crime prevention programmes, like property marking initiatives, to deter thieves and help motorists keep their vehicles safe.

“Staying ahead of rising crime patterns and knowing, for example, that (nationally) criminals are moving away from forcibly breaking in to using technology to gain entry to keyless systems, makes sure we’re focusing on the right areas and helping reduce opportunities for theft.”

The Home Office was invited to comment but did not respond.