One of the most historic British car manufacturers has partnered with the police to help crack down on the number of vehicle thefts across the country.
Jaguar Land Rover has invested over £1 million to help the police prevent vehicle thefts which continue to rise, especially with keyless vehicles.
The support measures come on top of the car insurance offering which looks to offset driver costs after high-profile thefts forced up premiums.
JLR said it would offer a £150 monthly insurance contribution for drivers for up to three years.
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More than 33,000 cars were stolen last year
LAND ROVER
The new support, however, will see police forces given additional resources to respond to vehicle thefts in hotspots across the country.
Specialist officers, funded by JLR, will now have more capacity to investigate vehicles being stolen across the country.
Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director at JLR, explained that the company is constantly developing its systems and security features to better protect motorists.
“Through our close collaboration with police, we stay ahead of any emerging methods and quickly deploy anti-theft measures,” he said.
McGillycuddy added that theadditional investment, coupled with other ongoing and proactive action, “shows our commitment to supporting the authorities in having a tangible impact on combating this issue in the UK”.
JLR added that it has trained over 650 officers to help search for recovered stolen vehicles and seizure of the tools used.
The Metropolitan Police Service estimated that 33,000 cars were stolen last year with 60 per cent of them from vehicles with keyless entry.
The Mayor of London recently criticised car manufacturers for not doing enough to help decrease car thefts and for continuing to make keyless cars which are easier to steal.
The Mayor also criticised the Government for not doing enough to prevent car thefts across London as more vehicles go missing overnight and demanded more action from manufacturers.
In response, JLR unveiled a package of investment worth £15million to boost vehicle security for keyless cars which continue to be targeted.
The demand came after the latest round of data from the Office of National Statistics showed vehicle thefts in England and Wales rose eight per cent in the 12 months to September last year.
Khan said: “It’s beggars belief that in 2024, cars can be stolen within seconds. Worryingly, changes in technology mean it’s now arguably easier to steal a car than a few years ago.”
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Sadiq Khan has called on manufacturers to do more to protect motorists
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He added: “The leadership and innovation of your companies is critical to tackling this issue, as you control the security features of new vehicles and can design out current and emerging security vulnerabilities.
“However, I have written to you previously about this issue and I am not yet confident that the industry as a whole is doing enough to address the security risks faced by vehicle owners, particularly for those models most targeted by criminals.”