§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what means he monitors joyriding as a specific aspect of vehicle crime; what recent studies have been conducted on the perpetrators of this crime; and how many(a) arrests and (b) prosecutions have been effected over the last 12 month period for which figures are available. [60853]
§ Jane KennedyThe PSNI considers the term "joyriders" an inappropriate one to describe car thieves. The terms that best describe the activities of car thieves are: "casual car theft"—where the opportunist criminal is casual about the car that they are intending to take, and will take any vehicle which is found to be vulnerable; "professional car theft"—where the organised criminal targets a specific make, model, specification and colour of car or possibly a specific car.
Casual car crime is not monitored as a specific aspect of vehicle crime.
There is a growing understanding that many cars are not stolen but are in fact "runabouts". A "runabout" is an old vehicle, without current licence, normally uninsured, which has changed ownership several times since the last notification to DVLNI. These vehicles offer significantly less risk to drivers than the use of stolen vehicles, and it appears that many of the vehicles being used by "casual car thieves" are not stolen, but are "runabouts".
Concerned about the uses to which "runabouts" are put, the PSNI, from 19 March to 16 June 2002, undertook an operation known as "Clean Up". A substantial number of "runabouts" were seized. Some 943 vehicles were seized and owners reclaimed 145. Owners had to produce a vehicle licence or leave a surety of £120 until they produced a vehicle licence. To date 550 "runabouts" have been destroyed and the balance will also be destroyed over the next few weeks, except for a small number, perhaps 20–30, which are considered suitable for auction. The registration numbers, makes and models of all seized 699W vehicles were forwarded to the Motor Insurance Information Centre who have to date not found any insured vehicles. The initial results of the operation found:
A 25 per cent. reduction in road traffic collisions in West Belfast District Command Unit during the six weeks of the operation (measured against the preceding six weeks, and the same six weeks the previous year);Fire service identified a 40 per cent. reduction in arson of motor vehicles when measured against the preceding six weeks of operation "Clean Up" and a reduction of 24 per cent. when measured against the same six weeks the previous year;Following operation "Clean Up" there has been a 50 per cent. reduction in thefts from vehicles in the Belfast region.It is anticipated that operation "Clean Up" may result in a change in the method of changing the ownership of vehicles.
Information on the number of arrests and prosecutions for "joyriding" is not available but I would refer the hon. Member to the following table which provides the recorded theft of vehicles/unauthorised taking offences and clearance rates for 2000–01.
Northern Ireland Recorded 10,806 Percentage cleared 11.4
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the(a) level of car ownership, (b) incidence of vehicle thefts, (c) level of stolen vehicle recoveries and (d) incidence of normal residence of individuals prosecuted for car theft was in each policing district in the last 12 months. [60854]
§ Jane KennedyThe Department of Environment (NI) has advised that the level of car ownership in Northern Ireland for the calendar year 2000 was 622,488 out of an overall figure of 730,730 for vehicle ownership.
The table shows by district command units, the recorded number of theft of vehicles/unauthorised taking of vehicles and the percentage cleared in the year 2000–01.
Information on the incidence of normal residence of individuals prosecuted for car theft by policing district is not available.
700W
Theft of vehicle/unauthorised taking offences recorded and percentage cleared 2000–01
Recorded Percentage cleared
Newtownabbey 402 8.5 Belfast South 2,312 7.8 Carrickfergus 119 10.1 Belfast North 1,023 9.8 Belfast West 1,180 7.9 Antrim 254 15.0 Lisburn 1,223 7.8 Castlereagh 325 9.2 Belfast East 587 10.9 North Down 264 6.8 Newry and Mourne 379 16.6 Craigavon 374 20.9 Dungannon and South Tyrone 182 19.8 Downpatrick 335 12.2 Newtownards 305 12.1 Cookstown 75 22.7
Theft of vehicle/unauthorised taking offences recorded and percentage cleared 2000–01
Recorded Percentage cleared
Armagh 141 29.1 Banbridge 100 20.0 Magherafelt 90 17.8 Larne 51 17.6 Moyle 33 24.2 Ballymena 117 33.3 Ballymoney 44 13.6 Limavady 110 22.7 Omagh 151 10.6 Coleraine 154 14.9 Strabane 95 21.1 Fermanagh 126 21.4 Foyle 255 18.8 Northern Ireland 10.806 11.4