Crime Reduction Toolkits

   Vehicle Crime
Crime - Let's bring it down
  
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Toolkit Index

Offender Profile: Motivation

There are many different reasons for vehicle crime. Vehicles may be stolen:

  • for casual use - usually temporary for joyriding or to get from a to b

  • for systematic financial gain - i.e. in an organised way for export, resale or breaking into parts.

  • for insurance fraud by owners.

Strategies need to be geared to the type of crime taking place.

Recovery rates may indicate to the type of crime involved: vehicles stolen for casual use tend to be recovered.

In 1998, 56% of stolen vehicles were recovered (1998 Criminal Statistics for England and Wales http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hosb1899.pdf )

Home Office working assumptions (developed with the police, insurers and others) are that, of unrecovered vehicles:

  • 40% are stolen for spare parts

  • 25% are given a new identity (ringed) and resold

  • 20% relate to insurance fraud

  • 15% are stolen for export.

Studies such as that by Spencer (1992) show that:

  • Fun, excitement, status/showing off and financial gain are significant motivating factors for young male car crime offenders;

  • Involvement in a police chase is often seen as adding to the thrill; and

  • Peer groups have a powerful influence.

Motivational factors may change as criminal careers evolve. The desire for excitement may be replaced by a financial dependence on autocrime.

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