Lib Dem MP Sarah Gibson calls on Labour to rule out policing budget cuts as unsolved car theft epidemic continues

Lib Dem MP Sarah Gibson calls on Labour to rule out policing budget cuts as unsolved car theft epidemic continues

• Shock new data crunched by the Liberal Democrats reveals that last year, more than 75% of vehicle thefts went unsolved while just 2% of cases resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed.
• 13 police forces in England and Wales saw at least 75% of all vehicle theft cases go unsolved in 2024. Wiltshire Police recorded 70.3% unsolved cases in 2024.
• This follows speculation that police funding will face real-terms cuts in next week’s Spending Review, which has been condemned by police chiefs across the country.
• Sarah Gibson MP is calling on the Government to keep their promises on neighbourhood policing by ruling out real-terms cuts to policing budgets ahead of the Spending Review.

House of Commons library analysis, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, shows a vehicle theft epidemic with the offence becoming ‘effectively decriminalised’. Almost 95,000 cases went unsolved last year. 

For Wiltshire, only 2.9% of all cases of vehicle theft ending with a charge. Sarah Gibson MP praised their efforts but said they needed “the tools they need to do their job properly”, adding that the Government should “put their money where their mouth is” in next week's Spending Review.

These shocking figures come after several police chiefs have warned the Labour government that they will not be able to deliver their promises on bolstering neighbourhood policing or halving knife crime and violence against women and girls without proper investment.

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Gibson is urging the Government to rule out any cuts to policing budgets, following speculation that the Home Office will face real-terms cuts at the upcoming Spending Review.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Gibson said: 

“Too many car thefts are going unpunished, leaving victims without justice and criminals free to offend again. Wiltshire Police are doing what they can and working hard, but they need the resource to tackle this.

“People in Wiltshire expect safer streets, not threats of police budget cuts. Slashing funding now would put communities at greater risk.

“If the Government truly backs neighbourhood policing, they need to put their money where their mouth is. That means rejecting real-terms cuts and giving officers the tools they need to do their job properly.”