Safe as car parks - The government, police, car makers and parking operators have worked well together to cut car crime

摘要

There has been a 30% fall in vehicle crime since 1999, according to figures released by the National Audit Office. "Thanks must be given to the stakeholders responsible for engineering this fall - the Home Office (HO), the police, car park operators, local authorities, the motor industry, crime and disorder reduction partnerships and citizen action groups," said Sir John Bourn, comptroller and auditor general of the National Audit Office (NAO) at its recent Reducing Vehicle Conference. "But we can never rest on our laurels. Any relaxation of our vigilance and those hard won reductions can atrophy, leading to a return of crime. After all vehicle crime still remains a volume crime in the UK. The British Crime Survey 2003-2004 estimated that that there were 2.1m thefts of and from vehicles," Bourn said. Discussions with the HO, insurers and the motor industry led the NAO to identify the main factors that determine the likelihood of a vehicle being broken into. These include the type of vehicle (the greatest proportion targeted by criminals are small saloons) and its age (older vehicles are less likely to be fitted with anti-theft devices to deter criminals). Where the vehicle is kept is also important. The highest volume of thefts occur at night in the street outside a person's home and during the day from car parks.