Southwark Lib Dems say bike and car theft is ‘effectively decriminalised’ in Southwark as an FOI revealed only 1.1 per cent of cases end up in a charge.
The data from 2020 to 2022, show that on average just 1.1 per cent of all bike and car theft cases resulted in a charge.
The breakdown was 1.4 per cent of car theft cases resulted in a charge or summons while charges for bike thefts were even lower at just 0.01 per cent, giving the 1.10 per cent average.
Last year a total of 891 car theft cases were reported but only nine cases resulted in a charge. Out of the 1,469 reported bike thefts, just ten resulted in a charge.
Additionally, the FOI revealed that from 2020 to 2022, 94 per cent of cases of stolen cars and bikes went totally unsolved, without a suspect even being identified.
The national picture isn’t much better, with just 3.4 per cent of car thefts resulting in a charge across the country, but these numbers show that Southwark is falling far below.
The Lib Dems are calling for a return to ‘proper community policing – where officers are visible and trusted, with the time and resources to focus on preventing and solving crimes.’
Commenting, Community Safety Spokesperson Cllr Jane Salmon said: “These figures from the Met are shocking. Essentially, they show that the police are entirely unable to support victims of crime in Southwark. Bike and car theft seems to have been effectively decriminalised in our borough. Having your car or bike stolen can represent a huge extra cost at a time of serious economic pressure, and the police are clearly unable to help.
“In Southwark, and across London, we need a return to real community policing. Years of Conservative cuts and misplaced resources have decimated the police’s ability to solve crimes and support victims. People need a visible police force they can rely on.”
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said: “The Metropolitan Police Service takes every incident of bicycle theft seriously and recognises the distress this crime causes its victims. We are also aware that for many, this can be a main form of transport and can therefore greatly disrupt their everyday lives.
“When a report is received officers will carry out every reasonable line of enquiry to recover the property and bring any suspect to justice.
They added that there are ways people can limit the chance of their vehicle being stolen – including never leaving valuables inside, and investing in steering wheel locks or tracking devices.
“Anyone who owns a bicycle is urged to get it security marked and registered at BikeRegister – this helps officers return stolen property to its rightful owner, and it also helps to bring prosecutions.
“Officers carry out patrols and operations across London in response to concerns over catalytic converter and keyless car thefts, using number-plate recognition technology to identify stolen motor vehicles and arrest offenders.”
The MPS maintain that the charging is down to the Crime Prosecution Service (CPS). We approached them for further comment, but they did not respond at the time of going to press.