In England and Wales, nearly 130,000 vehicles were stolen in the past year, with many destined for criminal activities such as being used in crimes, dismantled for parts, exported abroad, or sold to unsuspecting buyers. The majority of these thefts, over three-quarters, remained unsolved, as police closed 77% of cases without identifying a suspect or making any arrests. In some regions, the situation is even more concerning, with nine out of ten vehicle thefts in London going unresolved and over 80% of cases in Essex, Dorset, South Yorkshire, and Sussex not being investigated.
Acknowledging the alarming statistics, law enforcement agencies recognize that vehicle thefts without witnesses or suspect evidence may receive a lower priority compared to incidents involving violence or threats to public safety. However, advancements in tracking technology have provided additional solutions beyond traditional police investigations. Major car manufacturers now integrate tracking devices into vehicles, while covert trackers, discreetly housed in small magnetic cases, can also be purchased and installed independently.
These tracking devices vary in functionality, with some transmitting real-time data to monitoring centers and others activating periodically to evade detection by tech-savvy thieves. If undiscovered, private investigation firms, often led by former police officers and military personnel, mobilize to locate and recover stolen vehicles. With the decline of roads policing units due to budget cuts, the demand for such services has grown, prompting an increase in tracking companies and private investigators offering their expertise to victims of vehicle theft.
After reporting the theft to the police, victims can engage firms like W4G Track Recovery, who respond to tracker signals to retrieve stolen cars. In some cases, these firms independently recover the vehicles, while in others, they collaborate with law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe and lawful retrieval process. Agents deployed nationwide conduct risk assessments before seizing vehicles, which are often found parked in residential areas or chop shops for dismantling. When vehicles are abandoned, private firms can immobilize them or guide owners in safely recovering their property.
In the evolving landscape of vehicle theft prevention and recovery, a network of dedicated professionals, leveraging advanced technology and investigative skills, strives to combat this prevalent crime and provide peace of mind to vehicle owners.
Vehicles are sometimes physically lifted onto lorries or towed away for transport, but thieves may intervene before these operations can be completed. Neil Thomas, now the director of investigative services at AX Track, shared an incident where he followed a stolen £82,000 Mercedes GLE through Leicester and encountered an unexpected event. While he located the vehicle, a young man approached, unaware of the situation, and drove the car away when Thomas was at a safe distance. Thomas managed to capture a photograph of the individual and promptly shared it with the police.
In another instance, Thomas tracked a stolen Range Rover to unassuming residential garages in Dagenham, east London. These garages had been transformed into an “outdoor chop shop,” where stolen vehicles were dismantled for parts to be sold illicitly. Thomas and a colleague arrived to find two individuals in black tracksuits stripping the cars, who fled upon their arrival.
Over his 12-year career tracking stolen vehicles and previous 30-year tenure as a police officer, Thomas has noted a common practice where stolen cars are taken to public locations to “cool off” for a few days to check for tracking devices. Criminals strategically choose inconspicuous spots to park the vehicles, ensuring they are not immediately detected. Sometimes, they will pay locals to keep an eye on the vehicle or return after a couple of days to retrieve it if left undisturbed.
John Mussett, a veteran private investigator in the vehicle tracking industry, emphasized that many stolen vehicles are concealed in plain sight, often in public areas. He recounted a case where he recovered a stolen Range Rover left in a car park near Stratford-upon-Avon, seemingly unnoticed by passersby. Mussett, now the director of investigations for CanTrack Global, highlighted that thieves strategically place stolen vehicles in plain view, such as in industrial areas or railway station car parks, to evade suspicion.
Mussett noted a surge in the private vehicle tracking and investigation sector, attributing it to the decline in police resources for specialized traffic units. He stressed that vehicle theft investigations suffered due to shifting police priorities and reduced budgets.
In light of the challenges faced by law enforcement in resolving vehicle theft cases, private investigators like Thomas and Mussett play a crucial role in recovering stolen assets. They work discreetly to secure the vehicles and collaborate with local authorities to facilitate investigations.
“But information and intelligence are shared with the police. ‘The owner is taken out of that conversation at that point,’ says Steve Launchbury, of vehicle security firm Thatcham Research. ‘They are not then told ‘here’s your car, go and get it,’ because obviously that could put them in harm’s way. Who’s to say that the criminals are not still in the area?’ As the industry continues to grow, the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), a police unit, says it is aiming to increase collaboration between officers, car manufacturers, and tracking companies to boost the number of vehicles returned to their rightful owners. Sharon Naughton, head of the unit, says: ‘It is acknowledged that private tracking companies are, on occasion, able to recover stolen vehicles more quickly owing to their singular focus on this issue together with dedicated resources and technology available to them. It is important to recognize that police forces have finite resources, and senior officers have to prioritize calls for service involving threat, risk, and physical harm. Human crimes such as threats to life, physical harm, or other high-risk situations will affect the speed of response to vehicle theft.’ Naughton says there is a good working relationship between police and private tracking companies and that advancing technology has proven ‘invaluable in the fight against vehicle crime.’ But there are concerns that as tracking technology advances, so will criminals’ attempts to evade it. ‘These thieves are experts in their own field,’ says Mussett. ‘They know how to spot tracking devices, they use scanners and detectors, and they can cut through different parts of the vehicle to override alarms. As manufacturers are improving their security, thieves are changing their tactics.’ Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers, and more.”
