02 Nov E-vehicle theft epidemic: only 1.1% of culprits caught, new data reveals
New Metropolitan Police data has revealed that electric vehicle thefts are on the rise in London, with e-bike and e-scooter thefts hitting a record high of 2,368 in the past year, up 17% since June 2022.
A freedom of information request uncovered that just 1.1% of these cases lead to a formal sanction, including a suspect being charged or receiving a caution. This is the same number as the year before.
Despite 2,368 electric bikes and scooters being stolen from June 2022 to June 2023, only 26 suspects were charged.
Further analysis of the data showed that no electric car thieves in London have been caught in the past three years.
The data – collated by criminal defence solicitors Lawtons – also highlighted which London boroughs have been hit hardest by rising e-vehicle crime.
Tower Hamlets was the worst-hit borough, with 236 reports of e-bike thefts and 137 e-scooter thefts in the past year – the equivalent of 7 thefts every week. This was followed by Southwark, Westminster and Hackney.
