The number of reported car thefts from 2021 to 2023, the number of charges and the number of unsolved cases

7 April 2025 

Our Ref: FOI2025/02169                                                                        

REQUEST UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 Ref No: FOI2025/02169

Request

I write in connection with your request for information received on 10 March 2025.  I note you seek access to the following information:

• Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request data on car theft investigations within your police force’s jurisdiction. Specifically, I’d like details on:
• The total number of reported car thefts in your jurisdiction for each of the last three calendar years (2021, 2022, and 2023).
• The number of those cases that resulted in a suspect being charged or otherwise identified as the offender.
• The number of those cases that remain unsolved.

I am required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (The Act) to handle all requests in a manner that is blind to the identity of the requestor. Any information released in response to a request is regarded as being published and therefore, in the public domain without caveat.

Response

Following searches conducted on the Crime recording system of the Constabulary please see our response below:

Hertfordshire Constabulary
Reported car thefts
Date: 01/01/21 - 31/12/23

***Please Note***

Below is the data held by Hertfordshire Constabulary; however, the quality and completeness of this data may be affected by the way it has been recorded or maintained.

In some cases, data may be incomplete, inaccurately recorded, or not consistently linked across systems.

While this data is generally available and sufficient for data-today operational use it is not always stored in a format that allows for easy or large-scale extraction.

As such, compiling it for the purpose of this request may require significant manual effort, with a likelihood that this would exceed the 18-hour time limit set under the Freedom of Information Act.

The numerical data presented in this response is an un-audited snapshot of un-published data sourced from "live" systems and is subject to the interpretation of the original request by the individual extracting the data.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter please do not hesitate to contact me quoting the above reference number.

Yours sincerely,
Information Rights

Hertfordshire Constabulary provides you the right to request an independent review of this response under its review procedure. If you require such a review, you must notify us within two months from the date of this letter. After lodging a complaint with Hertfordshire Constabulary if you are still dissatisfied with the decision, you may make an application to the Information Commissioner. For information on how to make a complaint please visit their website or contact them on 0303 123 1113.