Just this week, TRACKER has helped Essex Police Force recover yet another Range Rover Sport worth £40,000 stolen without keys, this time from South Ockendon. The latest recovery highlights the growing concerns about thefts of keyless entry cars from the region; 92% of vehicles stolen and recovered by TRACKER in Essex last year were stolen using this method. This stark warning comes as the county is revealed as the third highest in the UK for car theft recoveries by TRACKER.
4×4 models appear a popular choice for car thieves in Essex, with the Range Rover Sport the most commonly stolen car in the county last year, followed closely by the BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE.
London remains the top spot where cars are stolen and recovered the most. Meanwhile, the West Midlands is a popular target for thieves rising from fourth place in 2017 to second place in 2018. Leicestershire (10th) also makes an appearance on the top ten list for the first time since the regional league tables were created by TRACKER in 2009.What’s more all areas of the UK have seen a significant increase in keyless car theft. 88% of vehicles stolen and recovered by TRACKER last year were keyless thefts – up 22% in just two years.
TRACKER’s total value of vehicles recovered in the UK last year was over 12 million demonstrating that although in-car security continues to improve, so does the ingenuity of the criminals and the need for a tracking device is ever-present.