MORE THAN 8,000 cars and light goods vehicles were recorded stolen across the West Midlands last year, according to Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson.
Figures released by Mr Jamieson show thefts of motor vehicles fell by almost 2,000 compared to 2019.
Where many vehicles saw thefts stabilise or fall, Nissan thefts rose from 194 in 2019 to 402 in 2020.
The data also shows that thefts of Land Rovers fell by 40 per cent whilst thefts of Audi vehicles fell by almost a quarter.
The PCC’s office has been leading a national campaign calling on motor manufacturers to close security loopholes.
He claims that car manufacturers have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to vehicle security, especially keyless technology.
Mr Jamieson said: “These figures show great improvements for manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover and Audi.
“However, I am concerned about the large rise in thefts of Nissans. It is outrageous that manufacturers are still producing vehicles that can be stolen in a matter of seconds, often by teenagers.”
Ford are still the most popular brand among thieves as the data shows that they account 2,309 of the 8,453 thefts.
“We know that Ford have the technology to stop keyless car thefts and include it on some of their newest models.” Mr Jamieson added, “But they must take more responsibility for vehicles they have sold in the past that have serious security flaws which can see them stolen in under a minute. All models should have this high level of security.
“Despite the lockdown, there has been an unequal impact on vehicle theft figures depending on the make of vehicle people own. This is why I have continued to push motor manufacturers to improve their security.
“Police will continue to pursue and arrest car thieves and the organised criminals fuelling thefts in our region, but there is a lot manufacturers could do to ensure their vehicles are more secure.”
West Midlands Police has been taking tough action against criminals stealing cars and by the end of 2020 had made almost 2,500 arrests as part of their targeted ‘Operation Cantil’. It has also seen them recover over 1,000 vehicles.
Their work has seen an organised car theft gang ordered to payback £1.1million after they were linked to stealing 117 cars.
People have been advised of additional measures they can take to make their vehicles more secure. These include using full wheel steering locks and ‘faraday pouches’ for cars with keyless entry.
Likewise, the public are advised to double check their car is locked and ensure that it’s not left unattended with the engine running.
