British cops losing "arms race" with high-tech car thieves, MPs warn
"It is disheartening to see so much car theft in our cities and the police are unable to do anything about it."
British motorists are using primitive 20th-century security devices to protect their expensive modern cars as police lose control of a nationwide vehicle crimewave.
That's the warning from MPs speaking during a debate this week on the Crime and Policing Bill, which will introduce tough new punishments for people caught with devices which allow them to open keyless cars.
It is estimated that these electronic devices are used in roughly 60% of vehicle thefts in London and 40% across England and Wales.
Although cops are now reportedly making 30 arrests a day over hurty words on social media, they seem totally unable to protect British people from vehicle thieves.
Luke Taylor, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for London and MP for Sutton and Cheam, said: "It is disheartening to see so much car theft in our cities, particularly London... A regular complaint of residents is that the police are not able to do anything about it. The police themselves are struggling. The technology has become an arms race."
He added: "It is depressing that a litany of old-fashioned manual theft prevention measures are now necessary again—people are having to use steering locks and wheel clamps—because the police cannot keep up with the technology that thieves employ."
Taylor said he hoped new powers will help cops "crack down on this incredibly distressing form of theft".
Vehicle crime and punishment
Clause 78 of the Crime and Policing Bill introduces two new criminal offences relating to electronic devices used in vehicle-related theft. The first makes it illegal to possess the devices and the second criminalises their supply, importation and manufacture.
Even offering to supply a device is now against the law. The offences carry a sentence of up to five years and require a reasonable suspicion that the device will be used in connection with the theft of a vehicle or anything inside it - meaning that people who use signal repeaters to boost their phone signal should (fingers crossed) be able to do so without having their doors kicked down at five in the morning.
Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention, said: "A significant proportion of vehicle theft is driven by serious and organised crime groups, and it costs millions of pounds in social and economic harm each year.
"Given the high demand for stolen vehicles and vehicle parts, this is an attractive and lucrative area for criminals to profit from. Criminals find ways to overcome security measures, even in the latest vehicle models, by using electronic devices to exploit vulnerabilities in vehicles and new technologies."
"Clause 78 strikes directly at these parasites"
During the debate, MPs shared grim stories of the crimes their constituents have suffered.
David Burton-Sampson, Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, said: "I will never forget knocking on a door one Saturday morning, when the resident opened and said, 'Where’s my car gone'
"She said, 'I’d locked it. It should be here,' but it turned out, again, that her car had been stolen using such a technique.
"The immediate inconvenience of a theft is significant, but it is not the only consequence. The victim may have to rearrange plans as they no longer have their car, and there are longer-term issues such as increased insurance premiums because of the theft.
"Keyless cars, which once seemed super-convenient, are now seen by many as a significant security flaw. I will never forget watching on CCTV after my neighbour’s car was stolen a few years ago using this exact method. The individual walked up to the car, gained entry and drove off, all in 45 seconds. Essex police has said that its stolen vehicles intelligence unit recovered £13.5 million-worth of stolen vehicles and parts in 2024—this is a real issue."
David Taylor, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, added: "For 14 years, between 2010 and 2024, crime in my patch doubled. These thieves no longer need a crowbar; they use laptops, signal boosters and hacking tools to rob families of their vehicles, their livelihoods and their sense of safety. Enough is enough.
"Clause 78 strikes directly at those parasites by making it an offence not just to steal but to possess, import, manufacture or supply the very devices that make these thefts possible—it cuts off the tools of their horrific trade.
"I recently heard from a Hemel resident who, back in December 2023, had his truck broken into and all his work tools stolen. Then, in November 2024, his family’s disability car was also stolen. Later, two of their neighbours’ cars were stolen along with hundreds of pounds' worth of equipment, having been parked side by side in a lay-by by their homes."
You can read a full transcript of the debate on Hansard.
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