Theft from vehicles down by half

9:11am Saturday 13th October 2007

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Increased patrols, forensic finger printing and a growth in automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology has resulted in a 39 per cent reduction in vehicle crime, police say.

Latest figures for Spelthorne during last month's Forcewide campaign show that theft from motor vehicles, the main offence targeted during the crackdown, saw a 50 per cent fall between September 9 and 24.

However, police still see Stanwell as a hotspot.

During the campaign, police targeted car thieves across Surrey with arrest warrants and undercover operations.

Enhanced police operational activity targeted car thieves across the county with arrests, warrants and undercover officers. An extensive bus and radio advertising campaign helped spread the message, while 30,000 homes in "at risk" areas received a letter and leaflet offering car crime advice.

Sarah Greenhalgh, Spelthorne neighbourhood inspector, said: "We are continuing to tackle vehicle crime hotspots in communities to keep auto crime low.

"It has been shown by the preventative work of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, operational activity by our tactical officers and ANPR, as well as recent publicity, that a real difference has been made in the numbers of vehicle crimes committed."