Crime Reduction Toolkits

   Vehicle Crime
Crime - Let's bring it down
  
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Outline Approach

Local strategies need to be based on a clear understanding of the local situation and avoid making assumptions about the problems and their causes. This means gathering and analysing information on:

  • what crimes are taking place and how often
  • where
  • when
  • why
  • who is the offender
  • what vehicles and victims are involved
  • and how goods are being disposed of.

This section sets out to help in partners with this analysis. It provides summary checklists for suggested local use. It also draws on the principles set out in the "Conjunction of Criminal Opportunity" framework developed by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. This framework maps out a generic and systematic way of thinking about the chosen crime problem, analysing its immediate causes, considering the entire range of types of intervention possible, putting them together into practical solutions, then implementing, evaluating and adjusting these.

Police records will be an important source of data, but there are many other sources which can supplement this picture:

Possible sources of data

Police – data/analysis of recorded crimes; information on offender/victim profiles; costs of vehicle crime; details/assessment of current vehicle crime reduction initiatives

Probation – offender profiles/ motivation; details/assessment of current vehicle crime reduction initiatives

Social Services/ YOT – offender profiles;. motivation; details/assessment of current vehicle crime reduction initiatives

Car Park managers/ attendants – information on both reported and unreported crime; data on usage and security

Surveys/ community consultation –fear of crime, unreported crime, perceptions of hotspots

DVLA – information on requests to re-register vehicles deemed to be insurance write-offs, and requests for new registration documents for vehicles recorded as having another current owner

Local insurance contacts – scale and cost of problems; risk assessments for areas; access to ABI Crime and Fraud Prevention Bureau; Arson Prevention Bureau

Trading Standards – complaints about clocking, substandard repairs; traders found in breach of trading standards legislation

AA, RAC, Retail Motor Industry Federation – complaints about used car sales/ repairs

Vehicle renting/ leasing companies – information on fraud and cost of fraud

Drug Action Team/ Drug Reference Group/ Arrest Referral Scheme – extent of drug misuse/ links between drugs misuse and vehicle crime

Commercial datahouses – can provide vehicle parc data and socio-demographic data by area

Vehicle Repair/ Salvage Industry – highlight suspect operators and traders who handle stolen vehicles and components

Fire Service – information on burnt out vehicles

Vehicle manufacturers – information on linking parts to vehicles and security measures in their vehicles

Using a range of data sources can help to double check that data is reliable.

Some other useful checks involve:

  • Being as clear as possible about what information is required

  • Spending time talking to the person providing the data to understand fully the basis on which it is collected

  • Being aware of the uses to which the information is already put

  • Running a ‘reasonableness test’

  • Are the figures what one might expect in relation to the area./issue in question?

  • Are there ‘blips’? If so, how can these be explained?

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