Criminals with devices used in 40% of car thefts face up to five years in prison

Criminals caught with electronic devices used in 40% of car thefts face up to five years in prison under a new law.

The Crime and Policing Bill, to be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday, will ban the possession, sale and distribution of gadgets such as signal jammers.

Unlimited fine

The devices can be used to block remote locks, allowing thieves to get in a vehicle without a key.

Anyone who is found in possession of one, or to have imported, made, adapted or distributed them, could be jailed for five years and receive an unlimited fine.

Currently, people can only be prosecuted if there is proof that they have used them to commit a crime.

Under the law, the burden of proof will be on the owner to demonstrate they were using the device for a legitimate purpose.

Police forces say the devices are used in four out of every ten vehicle thefts in England and Wales, and in 60% of thefts in London.

According to the 2022/23 Crime Survey for England and Wales, an offender manipulated a signal from a remote locking device in 40% of thefts of vehicles.

Theft

There were 732,000 incidents of vehicle-related theft in the year ending September 2024, the Home Office said.

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives.

“We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific.”