Essex Police have recovered more than 700 stolen vehicles over the course of 2023 with a total combined value of £27million.
The Stolen Vehicle Intelligence Unit (SVIU) identified 737 vehicles last year, headed up by PC Paul Gerrish, PC Phil Pentelow and analyst Hannah Gerrish.
The team was frequently able to seize stolen cars within hours of them being taken, examine them and use the intelligence to find other missing vehicles.
The most successful week for the SVIU team saw them retrieve more than £1million of vehicles after intercepting shipping containers hiding cars.
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PC Phil Pentelow and PC Paul Gerrish of the SVIU
ESSEX POLICE
Essex Police found a Ferrari and a Range Rover belonging to Premier League footballers, and a warrant in Canvey Island that led to three arrests and the discovery of £640,000 of cars.
Since the start of 2021, the team has recovered or identified more than 1,800 vehicles worth £58.5million and investigated 106 chop shops.
PC Paul Gerrish from Essex Police said: “We are continuing to dismantle the organised criminal networks behind these thefts.
“We’ve tracked down a record number of vehicles in the past year and recently we’ve had three very big jobs where we’ve recovered huge hauls of cars.
A Ferrari was also recovered by Essex Police
ESSEX POLICE
The police force said the majority of vehicles they deal with are hatchbacks, saloons and vans, rather than overly expensive and luxurious vehicles.
PC Gerrish added that a growing trend is thieves targeting family cars including Hyundai, Toyota and Lexus models, before reselling them.
He said: “These are the vehicles that make a huge difference to people’s daily lives.
“It’s very satisfying when we return a car to a family who need it to drive the children to school, or we take a van back to someone who relies on it for their job when they thought they’d never see it again.
PC Paul Gerrish analyses parts of a broken-up Ford
ESSEX POLICE
“We know what to look for and we know how and where these gangs operate. We will continue to disrupt their operations and arrest those responsible.”
Through Operation Ignition, the SVIU is increasing its resources to tackle car crime, as well as working with manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, BMW and Mercedes.
It is hoped these partnerships will improve vehicle security for all motorists and reaffirm the safety features that drivers need to look out for.
PC Pentlow said: “Learn about your car’s vulnerabilities. There are videos online where you can find this information out.
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A Rolls-Royce was recovered by Essex Police worth £360,000
ESSEX POLICE
“The website Secured by Design has recommended safety devices for your car – it may be additional immobilising, OBD protection or Faraday bags for keys, but this is model specific. At the very least, consider investing in a Disklok for your steering wheel.
“However, the biggest vulnerability is leaving your car unlocked. Double lock your car and check it. We see CCTV of thefts where thieves try the car door and it’s unlocked.”