Car crime experts will meet in Loughborough next week to discuss ways to combat the alarming rise in UK vehicle thefts.
The UK conference of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) will have high on its agenda the damaging effects policing cuts have had in this country, where car crime is on the increase.
Cuts to specialist police Stolen Vehicle Units (SVUs) have been blamed for rising car crime, with IAATI UK President Justin Powell issuing a stark warning by saying, “Vehicle thefts are already increasing and the inevitable result of cutting more SVUs will be a widening of the gaps in police knowledge and skills. In short, the wheels will come off.”
The conference will address the wider implications of car crime, tackling such issues as the evolution of vehicle crime, the current face of vehicle crime, keyless thefts, smuggling arms and drugs, cash for crash, GPS jammers and stealing cars for export.
“Whether we are talking about the targeting of modern classics, such as Ford Escorts and Land Rover Defenders, or tech-savvy criminals using electronic compromise to steal cars worth hundreds of thousands of pounds each, it usually involves organised criminal gangs,” said Mr Powell.
“Vehicle crime, as well as being a problem in itself, is also a key enabler of other serious crimes, including terrorism. It is therefore imperative to keep up the pressure on these networks.”
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