Sergeant calls on community after car theft epidemic

Sergeant calls on community after car theft epidemic

A police sergeant has appealed for the help of the community to tackle an increase in car thefts.

Sergeant Michelle Hughes, from Greater Manchester Police, spoke at the Milkstone and Deeplish Area Forum last night (Monday 12 January) where she revealed that car thefts this year had risen from 19 to 26.

This was the only area which had shown an increase, as other crimes, including burglaries, had dropped dramatically.

Sgt Hughes said: “The team has worked hard to bring down local crime statistics. Burglaries have been brought down by 51% and that is a huge drop”.
But there is one area where we are not doing as well as we would like to be, and that’s car thefts.

“I would like to appeal to the local people for any intelligence of information you can give us to help us tackle this problem”.

Greater Manchester Police issued a warning in early December after a car theft epidemic broke out, where 20 vehicles were stolen in the borough in just 48 hours.

Chief Inspector Chris Gloster of Greater Manchester Police’s Traffic Network Services said: “People can be tempted to leave their car engine running on a frosty morning while they keep nice and warm inside their house. However, it only takes a few seconds for a thief to steal a car when the keys have been left in the ignition.

“It is not only high-powered vehicles that are targeted and so our advice to all drivers is to stay in their vehicle when defrosting and if at any time they need to leave the car, to make sure they lock it, remove any valuables and take the keys with them.

”Motorists should also remember that insurance companies may not pay out if vehicles are stolen after being left unattended with the keys in the ignition".