Watch out! Watch out! Car cannibals are about, warns Tracker

Brazen thieves are stripping parts from cars parked on driveways and in public places to meet demand for quality second-hand parts

LONDON – 3^rd June 2024 – A surge in reports of car cannibalisation across the U.K. has prompted stolen vehicle recovery expert, Tracker Network UK to warn drivers of the risk of attack. As the price of a basket of common parts spirals by 35%_[i], organised crime gangs are now stripping vehicles for parts wherever they are parked. This technique is fast, eliminates the need for criminals to transport or store vehicles, and is hard to protect against.

Fearless car crime gangs aren’t fussy about where they target vehicles.  Just recently, football fan Chris Pugh’s celebrations were ruined after watching his beloved Birmingham City beat Hull at St. Andrew’s stadium.  He returned to his car to find it stripped after parking in a residential street. He had only left his car for three hours to watch the match and found it without a bonnet, and the headlights and number plates had also been takenⁱⁱ.  But Chris’s story is just one of many car cannibalism cases hitting news headlines.

“New parts production has been hit in recent years, from the effects of the pandemic through to the war in Ukraine, impacting parts availability and cost.  This, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, has seen demand grow for quality second-hand parts leading to this latest car crime spate,” explains Clive Wain, vehicle theft expert and Head of Police Liaison at Tracker. “Even basic parts prices like discs, brake pads and wiper blades have shot up, so car cannibalisation can be a very lucrative market for criminals.”

This latest means of theft follows a worrying increase in chop shops – illegal body shops used to unlawfully disassemble stolen motor vehicles so their parts can be sold on – which police forces are fighting to find and shut down across the country.  These clandestine bodyshops continue to pose significant concern for everyone. Last year the number of illegal chop shops Tracker helped U.K. police forces uncover rose by 72% compared with 2022.

Continues Clive Wain, “The worrying rise in car cannibalisation cases, alongside the increase in the number of chop shops, means there’s an urgent need to ramp up vehicle security. Whether it happens inside illegal chop shops or in broad daylight at the side of the road, criminals are removing parts, from headlights to steering wheels, ready to be sold for cash or on the black market, as well as shipping them abroad to Europe, Middle East and Africa. Motorists must do all they can to deter criminals from targeting their car.”

Tracker’s top tips to protect against car cannibalism

Stay in the light: Don’t park in unlit areas, as darkness gives thieves valuable cover. If the place where you park at home is unlit, install motion-activated security lights to ensure thieves will be visible if they approach your car.

Invest in a dashcam or visible CCTV: Even a video doorbell that covers the car while parked on the drive will deter thieves as their actions will be recorded. Many dashcams include a parking mode feature to begin recording in the event of an impact or movement while the ignition is off.

Mark parts: Etch parts that can be stolen with the vehicle’s registration plate. Although it’s unlikely that stolen parts will be recovered, visible markings could actually deter a thief from stealing components.

Use an alarm: Car alarms may not stop a thief stealing parts, or damaging the vehicle, but should stop them hanging around to remove multiple parts. If your car does not already have an alarm fitted, you can have one fitted. It should detect movement, not just the doors being opened or windows smashed, in case the vehicle is lifted to allow access to wheels or parts under the vehicle.

Make life difficult: Fit security posts or a substantial gate if parking on your drive, physical barriers will make thieves think twice.

Get police protection: Invest in a stolen vehicle recovery solution (SVR) that will locate and return your vehicle to you before thieves can dismantle it. Tracker is the only SVR provider offering vehicle tracking systems supported nationwide by UK police forces. Its detection units are fitted in over 2000 police patrol vehicles and throughout the national fleet of Police helicopters that comprise the National Police Air Service (NPAS).