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Cambridgeshire Police report 111% increase in vehicle thefts over a decade
Overview
Data from Cambridgeshire Police reveals that reported vehicle thefts more than doubled over a decade, rising from 692 in 2015-16 to 1,464 in 2025-26. Police attribute the rise to increasingly sophisticated techniques used by organised crime groups, while charge rates dropped from 8.4% to 3.4% over the same period.
Key points
- Reported vehicle thefts in Cambridgeshire rose by about 111% over a decade.
- The number of cases resulting in charges fell from 8.4% in 2015-16 to 3.4% in 2025-26.
- Police cite complex, sophisticated techniques and cross-border organised crime as factors making investigations challenging.
- Stolen vehicles are often quickly moved, cloned, or made difficult to trace, hindering evidence collection.
- Cambridgeshire Police are using hotspot patrols and working with regional partners to tackle vehicle security, keyless theft, and cloned plates.