00:00During a press briefing this afternoon at the Police Administration Building, ASP Lloyd Lazarus
00:05and Inspector Majid Khan of the Stolen Vehicle Squad said there were 578 reported larceny
00:12incidents between January 1st and October 1st this year, compared with 690 during the
00:19corresponding period in 2025. That represented a 16% reduction. Robbery involving motor vehicles
00:27recorded an even greater decline, falling from 374 incidents last year to 185 this year,
00:35a 51% reduction. But police said the figures did not mean that the problem had been solved.
00:43The 2026 data reflects a significant overall reduction in motor vehicle-related offenses
00:49when compared to the corresponding 2025 period. Both major categories, lastly motor vehicle
00:56and robbery involving a motor vehicle. Recorded substantial declines with larceny motor vehicle
01:03decreasing by 16% and motor vehicle robberies decreasing by 51%.
01:07Khan said larceny continued to amount for the majority of motor vehicle theft reports,
01:12making it the principal area of concern for the police. The North Central Division recorded the
01:18highest number of larceny of motor vehicle incidents with 123 reports. Central followed
01:25with 95, although that division recorded a 25% reduction, compared with last year with 126 reports.
01:33The North Eastern Division recorded one of the largest improvements, with larceny falling from 103
01:39incidents in 2025 to just 66 this year. Robbery involving motor vehicles also declined sharply in several
01:49divisions, including the North Eastern as well as the Western. Police said the reductions provided an
01:56opportunity to identify and replicate crime prevention strategies that appeared to be working.
02:02But the squad said tackling stolen vehicles involved more than simply recovering them.
02:10Consequently, the response to larceny and robbery of motor vehicles requires more than simply recovering
02:16vehicles after they have been stolen. It entails prevention, intelligence-led policing, effective
02:26investigations, rapid recovery, disruption of criminal networks, and successful prosecution of offenders.
02:36Police said stolen vehicles could also be used in other serious crimes, including home invasions,
02:42kidnappings, and murders. The Stolen Motor Vehicle Squad said investigations had targeted used car
02:49dealers, vehicle parts sellers, and others suspected of involvement in the stolen vehicle trade.
02:56Police said about four such operations had been dismantled, with persons being charged and matters are now
03:03before the courts. Alexander Bruiswold, TV6 News.
