It has plagued Greater Manchester for decades. But it appears police may finally be making progress in putting the brakes on a crime which can bring not only inconvenience, but fear, misery, and trauma.
In the last 12 months to March 2023 GMP recorded 7,183 vehicle thefts - a 2.9 per cent increase on the previous year.
But there is evidence that the force is improving in identifying and catching the often highly organised gangs of car thieves who, at the top end, can make a lucrative living for stealing cars for export or to strip down to parts.
Statistics released to the Manchester Evening News by Greater Manchester Police reveal that in the 12 months to April 2023 there were 379 prosecutions for vehicle crime, which includes theft of and from vehicles - compared to 243 for the year before - a 56 per cent increase in crimes solved.
Supt Ian Jones GMP's lead for vehicle crime, said: "There is a wide variety of car crime in Greater Manchester, and it is different in different boroughs.
"In Wigan and Leigh at the moment we have a high number of motorbikes being stolen - including e-bikes. In Manchester city centre, vehicle crime is mainly theft from vehicles at the car parks, for example.
"In Oldham and Rochdale, Ford Fiestas are the main vehicles being stolen. Then you get other areas where Land Rovers and more prestige vehicles are being stolen - such as Trafford recently, and Bolton.
"Our motorbike problem in Leigh and Wigan is youths who are opportunist to use for a joyride in a local field; but say the Ford Fiestas, it is more organised. We believe a lot of those are getting used for chop shops, or sold on on auction sites online.
"Ford Fiestas are one of our most used vehicles, so parts are required. The theft of high end vehicles that is organised - that is more predominantly for cars going out of this country, where we work with other forces, forces abroad, and other agencies like NaVCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service).
"The sought after high-end vehicles, like Audis, Volkswagens, and Land Rovers are going to Europe and the Far East where right-hand drive vehicles like ours are used."
Meanwhile, in countries where right-hand drive cars can't be used, vehicles stolen on the streets of Britain can still be used for parts, Supt Jones said.
"We are making progress in a number of ways," the officer added. "Firstly, working with the main dealers to make sure the vehicles have adequate security in the first place.
"The criminals in this region do their best to overcome this using bridging devices - they have been using them since the keyless start of cars was invented. But, as the industry gets better, it makes it harder for them.
"People can do their own bit to prevent (vehicle crime) by using steering locks; garages, so the cars are not on the drive and can't be seen and using Faraday pouches for the keys.
"We put a lot of resources into our Technical Vehicle Intercept Unit, and each division has a neighbourhood crime team which focuses on burglary, robbery, and vehicle crime - many of the vehicles that are taken go in burglaries.
"We have a lot of operations in place and we are being proactive in information we receive from other forces. We will be targeting people who we know are involved in vehicle crime.
"When we go through their doors we will be locking them up and seizing vehicles and parts of stolen vehicles - anyone involved in this crime, in the next month or two we will be coming to visit you - and you will be getting arrested."
Police have provided stats on the number of car thefts in each policing division of Greater Manchester in the first four months of this year, approximated because of the nature of crime recording systems; the number of stolen vehicles recovered over the same period in each borough; and the makes most targeted by thieves in the first four months of the year.
Vehicles taken between Jan 23 – April 23
Oldham: 70-75
Trafford: 65-70
Stockport: 60-65
Salford: 55-60
Tameside: 50-55
Wigan: 45-50
Rochdale: 40-45
South Manchester: 35-40
Bolton: 30-35
North Manchester: 25-30
Bury: 20-25
City Centre: 5-10
Vehicles recovered between Jan 23 – April 23
Oldham: 22
Trafford: 13
Stockport: 18
Salford: 12
Tameside: 24
Wigan: 16
Rochdale: 16
South Manchester: 18
Bolton: 11
North Manchester: 10
Bury: 9
City Centre: 5
Makes of stolen vehicles between Jan 23 – April 23
BMW: 77
Audi: 65
VW: 54
Mercedes: 52
Ford: 42
Vauxhall: 19
Nissan: 16
Toyota: 12
Honda: 12
Range / Land Rover: 11
Peugeot: 9
Kia: 7
Hyundai: 7
Renault: 6
Mini: 5
Lexus: 4
Supt Jones said that the craze for electric bikes - or e-bikes - presented GMP with a 'big problem'.
"People don't always report them as stolen - when we do find the bikes we can't repatriate them to the owners - they are not on the DVLA, so its is a bit problematic - and the youngsters want them.
"They are stolen and sold for next to nothing. They are getting stolen with the chargers and when they are getting charged up in the house they are causing house fires."
GMP also work closely with the National Crime Agency and Regional Organised Crime Unit to target organised crime groups.
Officers say a thief can break into a house and take a £40,000 car, and might get £1,000 to £1,500 for it. But if they do that two or three times a night it is a big earner for them.
Supt Jones said offenders were getting more 'proportionate' sentences for car crime in recent years as police had got better at 'getting the victims' view on things'.
"Where we can link these crimes to a burglary (offenders) are getting charged with burglary too," he said. "Do I wish they were getting more severe sentences? Of course I do.
"We are not letting them get away with it - we are taking the fight back to them. There are several operations ongoing and we will continue to target car thieves."
READ MORE:
