NVCRP
Welcome to NVCRP website
The NVCRP brings together police, government and industry to reduce vehicle crime.
Membership Criteria

Eligibility to join the NVCRP will be based upon the applicant meeting membership criteria below

  • A recognised UK Motor Manufacturing organisation, or
  • A member of law enforcement e.g. Police, National Crime Agency (NCA), Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), Opal, or
  • UK Government department or a recognised automotive trade organisation, or
  • Local Government or Office of Police and Crime Commissioners
  • Vehicle Security Providers
  • Be a UK registered company

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria can still apply for membership of the NVCRP but must clearly state why they wish to join. These applications will be considered against the aims and objectives of the scheme and on a case-by-case basis.

Enquiries may be conducted to determine the veracity of any application and to support any decisions taken regarding the acceptance or rejection of the submission.

No applicant has an automatic right to NVCRP membership.

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Theft prevention tips for commercial vehicles

Downloadable guides on commercial vehicle theft prevention advice for business owners and fleet managers. These guides provide a wealth of actionable tips to significantly help reduce the risk of your vehicle being targeted by thieves.

 

Theft prevention tips for car drivers

Comprehensive downloadable guides on vehicle theft prevention advice. From securing your car with alarms and immobilizers to the prevention of other types of vehicle theft. These guides offer actionable tips to help reduce the risk of your vehicle being stolen.

Theft prevention tips for motorcyclists

For motorcycle and scooter owners, these downloadable guides on theft prevention can provide invaluable guidance. These resources offer advice on securing your bike or scooter, such as installing alarms and immobilizers. They also cover strategies for deterring other types of two-wheeled vehicle theft.

Working with police, government and industry

Below are a selection of industry organisations and vehicle manufacturers we work with. Please click a logo below to be take to their website.

https://www.globalim.co.uk/

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https://www.tritontrak.com/

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https://www.inn-track.co.uk/

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Do you have any questions?

Please use the contact us form to send a message to the NVCRP team.

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Chief Inspector Oli Fisher

Police Tactical Lead

Mark Kameen

Project Lead

Andy Wood

Partnership Coordinator

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions section which we hope you will find useful. If there is something that isn't covered here, please email using the 'Contact Us' section.

What is NVCRP

The National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership has been created by the National Police Chiefs Council, the Home Office and vehicle manufacturers. This national scheme brings law enforcement and Industry together to enhance intelligence sharing and analysis, build effective networks to implement and coordinate projects that are designed to target offenders and prevent vehicle crime from occurring. The NVCRP would welcome the opportunity to discuss and support partnership-based crime prevention ideas and opportunities.

How do I become a member of the NVCRP?

You can apply for membership on the 'Become a member page' on our website. Please note that whilst we encourage membership of the NVCRP, applicants will need to meet certain criteria to ensure the integrity of our work.

What are the benefits of becoming a member of the NVCRP?

Membership of the NVCRP is exclusive to those that meet our strict membership criteria. The NVCRP are developing a knowledge hub with access to legislation, best practice, crime prevention projects, and related subject matter.

Membership of the NVCRP will develop and build the wider partnership and afford organisations cross-sector access with other members, skill sets and expert knowledge.

In time, the NVCRP will develop tactical and industry meetings which will afford members the opportunity to share intelligence, crime trends and concerns. The NVCRP will act as a central repository for these opportunities.

News
  What is a Chop Shop? A chop shop is an illegal operation where stolen vehicles are dismantled and sold for parts. Instead of reselling a whole stolen car, which is easier for police to trace, criminals “chop” the vehicle into components such as engines, transmissions, airbags, wheels, and electronics. These parts are then sold on the black market, exported or funnelled into legitimate looking vehicle repair businesses. How Chop Shops Operate Once a vehicle is stolen, it’s often moved quickly to a hidden garage, warehouse, or secluded property. There, it can be stripped down in hours. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) may be removed, altered, or swapped with numbers from wrecked cars to disguise their origin. Because most individual auto parts do not carry unique identifiers, it becomes difficult to connect them back to the stolen vehicle. Criminals exploit the strong demand for inexpensive used parts. Customers, sometimes unknowingly, buy stolen components at a fraction of the cost of new factory parts. This demand fuels the cycle of theft and dismantling. Once a car is dismantled in a chop shop, its parts can take several different routes depending on the sophistication of the criminal network: Black Market Sales - Many parts are sold directly on the black market through word-of-mouth, cash-only deals, or closed online groups. These sales often bypass any documentation, making the parts untraceable. Resale Through “Legitimate” Channels - Some chop shops funnel parts into second-hand auto repair shops, scrapyards, or salvage yards that appear legitimate. Because used car parts typically don’t carry serial numbers, they can be sold alongside legal parts with little suspicion. Online Marketplaces - Criminals increasingly use online platforms and classified sites to list stolen parts as “used” or “aftermarket.” Popular items include wheels, tyres, catalytic converters, airbags, and electronics. Overseas Export - In more organised operations, parts may be shipped abroad. Containers of dismantled vehicles or parts are exported to countries with high demand for specific makes and models, often where law enforcement oversight is weaker. Rebuilding Other Stolen Cars - Some chop shops use salvaged parts to rebuild stolen vehicles with altered VINs. This practice, sometimes called “cloning,” allows criminals to sell what appears to be a legal vehicle. Scrap Metal Sales - Low-value components and stripped shells are often crushed and sold as scrap metal. This final step eliminates much of the physical evidence of the stolen vehicle. The Law Enforcement Challenge For police, chop shops represent more than just vehicle crime, they are often linked to larger criminal networks involved in fraud, drug trafficking, and organised theft rings. Identifying and shutting down a chop shop requires extensive investigation, surveillance, and cooperation between local law enforcement, vehicle theft task forces, tracking companies and insurance investigators. Recovering stolen vehicles or their parts can be extremely challenging once they’ve been dismantled. However, successful investigations not only shut down chop shops but can also uncover broader networks of criminal activity. The challenge for policing is that they are rightly under pressure to focus on high harm crimes such as child sexual exploitation, and violence against women and girls. They can’t always prioritise vehicle crime and they can’t always deploy the level of resource that they would like to, because that resource has to be focused on the more high harm crimes Exportation The other challenge is that so many stolen parts are exported overseas via UK ports. It is one of the most lucrative aspects of chop shop operations, and it’s something police and customs agencies continue to battle. Stolen parts are packed into shipping containers with other goods to disguise their presence. They may be mixed with legitimate salvage parts to make the shipment appear legal. In some countries, certain car brands or models are in very high demand, but parts are expensive or difficult to source legally. Criminals exploit this by supplying cheap, stolen components. For luxury cars, stolen parts may end up in countries where wealthy buyers are looking for affordable repairs on high-end brands. Selling stolen parts abroad often generates higher profits than selling locally. A car that might bring in a few thousand pounds in parts in the UK could fetch significantly more overseas. The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) provide ports officers who are trained vehicle examiners and on-the-ground intelligence gatherers assessing shipping containers leaving the UK. Stolen finance vehicles and other stolen vehicles and parts are regularly located within containers and seized thanks to their work. But the scale of the problem makes this challenging. How Police Detect Chop Shops Detecting a chop shop often comes down to recognising red flags and following investigative leads. Common signs include frequent movement of vehicles at odd hours into garages or warehouses, suspiciously low-priced auto parts being sold without proper documentation., tampered VIN numbers or mismatched titles during vehicle inspections and reports from the community about unusual activity at repair shops, storage units, or industrial sites. Police also use technology such as license plate readers, surveillance cameras, and vehicle tracking systems to locate stolen cars before they disappear into dismantling operations. Community tips are often vital, members of the public who report suspicious activity can play a major role in uncovering these hidden operations. The Community Impact Chop shops drive up vehicle theft rates, which in turn increases insurance premiums for members of the public. Having a car stolen can also cause emotional stress and loss of earnings. In addition, stolen vehicles are often used in the commission of other crimes before being dismantled, further compounding their impact on public safety. Protecting Yourself Police encourage drivers to take proactive steps to reduce their risk: Always lock your car and take your keys. Park in well-lit, secure areas whenever possible. Avoid leaving valuables visible inside your vehicle. Consider anti-theft devices such as steering wheel locks, immobilizers, or GPS trackers. Chop Shop Enforcement Surrey Chop Shop Bust (Dunsfold Aerodrome area – October 2024 to March 2025)In a high-profile case, five men were sentenced for running a chop shop near Dunsfold Aerodrome, Surrey. They targeted high-value vehicles Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs using devices that trick cars into thinking the key fob was close by. After stripping them, they changed the licence plates and transported parts to Cambridgeshire. Police used ANPR cameras to trace cars of the same make and model (but with different plates) entering the site. The operation resulted in an estimated £750,000 worth of stolen vehicles and parts being recovered before the gang pleaded guilty. Crown Prosecution ServiceSurrey Police Sandwell Chop Shop Discovery (June 17, 2025)West Midlands Police tracked a stolen BMW on cloned plates to an industrial unit in Rowley Regis. They discovered parts from five other vehicles and the stolen BMW. Two men were arrested and bailed under investigation. Police also highlighted warning signs: noise from units at odd hours, vans going in and not exiting, parts stored in strange places, and expensive engines and gearboxes visible outdoors. West Midlands Police South Yorkshire Police In May the NVCRP were invited to attend an operation with South Yorkshire Police on a reported chop shop. The operation also included representatives from Ofcom, Environmental Waste and the local council. The investigation is ongoing but the police seized numerous suspected vehicles and parts. The operation was helped by funding from the NVCRP for Qualified Stolen Vehicle Examiners. The role of the NVCRP The NVCRP are working with key partners across law enforcement and the private sector to shift the mindset on how to tackle vehicle crime. The NVCRP want to work with manufacturers and others to fund, design and build and enhanced response to vehicle crime that removes the demand from policing. But Home Office funding along with private sector funding and support is critical if we want to prevent, detect and tackle organised vehicle crime. The NVCRP is already providing financial support to fund training for more Qualified Stolen Vehicle Examiners and they are working closely with The National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) and OPAL to enhance intelligence and investigative capability. The NVCRP are also having ongoing dialogue with the Home Office and private industry regarding funding and investigative capability. More news to come soon…..

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Despite many people taking a well-earned break over the summer, the NVCRP lead Mark Kameen has been active at some key stakeholder meetings this month, resulting in some exciting announcements to follow soon….!  In the last few days of July, Mark attended the NVCRP steering group, which brought together policing, the Home Office, and industry. The packed agenda included discussions on the NVCRP strategy, the RUSI report, and the partnership with NVCRP’s public relations consultants, Purple Pitch PR. Mark presented strategic and operational updates from the past three months and outlined plans for the remainder of 2025. The meeting was chaired by Greg Culshaw of Toyota Motor Corporation and attended by James Taylor and Kate Brummell from Opal SOAC, Sharon Naughton MA and Stuart Bell from NaVCIS, Pippa Cousins from the UK Home Office, as well as Paul Collins from Toyota and Adrian Mills and Laura Savvas from Jaguar Land Rover. There have been a number of trips to London, including a meeting with the Home Office to talk about the ongoing work of the NVCRP and plans for the coming months. This was followed by a visit to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in Whitehall to meet Elijah Glantz, co-author of their recent report on organised vehicle crime. The RUSI report calls for the creation of a national investigative body and national coordination of the police, partner and industry response to organised vehicle crime. Mark and RUSI discussed a potential future event with industry partners to look at the report in more detail. More to follow on this soon. The day in London concluded with a productive meeting at the Department for Business and Trade, focused on strengthening strategic relationships across government and industry. The NVCRP remains committed to tackling organised vehicle crime through meaningful partnership, shared insight, and innovative approaches. These discussions are critical to securing the support and resources needed to drive real change. During August, Mark was delighted to step in as Chair of the NaVCIS Governance Group, in place of ACC Jennifer Sims, who will shortly retire from policing. The quarterly meeting, held at the NaVCIS offices at the College of Policing in Ryton, brought together colleagues from across policing and industry, including Sharon Naughton NaVCIS Head of Unit, Stuart Bell (Deputy Head), Adrian Dally (FLA Director of Motor Finance and Strategy), Tim Passmore (PCC for Suffolk), James Taylor (Head of Opal SOAC) and many others. It was a productive and positive session, highlighting both the strength of NaVCIS’s work and the power of effective public–private partnerships. The agenda included a discussion of the recent Supreme Court judgment on car finance. NaVCIS remains a leading example of cross-sector collaboration, as also recognised in the recent RUSI report. Mark was proud to contribute in his role as NVCRP Project Lead. Mark was once again in London for meetings with the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad and later at the UK Home Office, once again joined by Sharon Naughton, MA, and Tom Chisholm of NaVCIS, DCI Kate Brummell of Opal SOAC and Chief Inspector Oliver Fisher of Sussex Police and the National Police Chiefs'​ Council Tactical Lead for Vehicle Crime. Discussions focused on tackling organised vehicle crime across the UK and internationally, exploring how stronger partnerships, better intelligence sharing, and closer collaboration with global colleagues can increase our collective effectiveness. It was a positive step forward that reflects the strong commitment of everyone involved. Towards the end of the month, Mark was announced as a speaker at The International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) 2025 Vehicle Crime Conference, taking place on 7–8 October in Daventry. Mark will join a panel of experts to discuss Policy, Practice & Prevention: What More Can Be Done? Register for the conference here: 2025 IAATI UK Vehicle Crime Conference - Henry Ford Academy Daventry | International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) Finally, this month, the NVCRP launched the first of their monthly blogs. In the first edition, the NVCRP take a closer look at how vehicle crime has evolved, from local opportunism to a sophisticated, global threat, and what policing and the industry are doing to tackle it.Read more here: News - NVCRP

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For many people, vehicle crime still conjures images of joyriders and opportunistic thefts from the 1990s. Cars left unlocked on a street, a screwdriver jammed into the ignition, and a joyride that ended with the vehicle abandoned nearby. Those crimes were disruptive, but they were often short-lived and low in sophistication.  Fast forward to today, and the picture is unrecognisable. Modern vehicle crime is no longer the preserve of local opportunists. According to research from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) (Link to full RUSI report), it has become a transnational criminal market. Offenders now use highly specialised electronic tools to bypass security, clone digital identities, and move vehicles across borders in a matter of hours. From opportunism to organisation Since around 2014, vehicle theft rates in the UK have climbed steadily after two decades of decline. RUSI highlights that this rise is tied to both method and motivation. Where once brute force was enough, organised groups now exploit relay devices, CAN-bus exploits and on-board diagnostic attacks to steal high-value vehicles “to order”. Premium SUVs are especially attractive because they command strong resale values overseas and can be broken down for parts that are harder to trace. Crucially, this is no longer about a single thief acting alone. Containers intercepted at UK ports often hold multiple vehicles from different police force areas, a clear indication of structured A global market with local consequences Vehicle crime today is firmly embedded in the wider landscape of serious organised crime. Stolen cars fund broader illicit activities and move along the same international logistics routes as drugs, firearms and counterfeit goods. Destinations include parts of Africa and the Middle East, where demand for UK-specification vehicles is high. The war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia have further distorted global supply chains, fuelling demand for high-value vehicles that can bypass official markets and restrictions. This has made the UK an increasingly attractive source country for organised groups. Not all stolen vehicles vanish overseas. They are often used for serious offences at home: as transport for robberies, as getaway cars in firearms discharges and homicides, and as enablers for county lines drug distribution. In many cases, vehicles themselves become a form of currency, traded for drugs or firearms within criminal networks. The same SUV stolen from a driveway may ultimately fund a shipment of narcotics or be exchanged as payment for weapons. The harm, however, is still felt most acutely by the public. Victims face soaring insurance premiums, communities suffer from burglaries linked to key theft, and the national bill for vehicle crime has been estimated at well over £1.5 billion annually.  Beyond money, there is a deeper issue: public trust erodes when people feel their cars cannot be kept safe. Policing under pressure Policing this challenge is complex. Charge rates for vehicle theft have fallen significantly over the past decade, meaning offenders often see the risk as low. The crime itself cuts across geographic boundaries; a car might be stolen in one force area, cloned in another, and exported through a third. That fragmentation makes ownership of investigations difficult under the current system. At the same time, policing has rightly focused resources on crimes of vulnerability such as child abuse, domestic abuse, rape, violence against women and girls, modern slavery and human trafficking, to name just some. Supporting vulnerable victims whilst managing offenders involved in these crimes can be complex, meaning that investigations will often take longer to finalise whilst involving more resources. But the unavoidable trade-off is fewer resources left to tackle vehicle crime, just as it becomes more sophisticated, organised, profitable and global. The government will be introducing new powers to address the possession and sale of the electronic devices used in these thefts. RUSI notes that taking these tools off the streets will not only slow down offenders but can also provide valuable intelligence about supply chains. But legislation alone will not be enough A coordinated way forward The evidence is clear:  a coordinated, national response is required. RUSI argues that without consistent tasking, the police cannot hope to match the scale and sophistication of the threat. Public-private sector partnerships, like the NVCRP (National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership) and NaVCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service), play a crucial role in tackling vehicle crime. These collaborations bring together expertise, resources, and intelligence from both sectors, enhancing prevention, detection, and response efforts. By engaging with other partners, such as insurers, manufacturers, technology firms, and local law enforcement, there’s a unique opportunity to enhance the impact, share data, and develop innovative solutions that can make a real difference in reducing vehicle crime across the board. However, these efforts also require financial support from the private sector to fund initiatives and drive meaningful change. The NVCRP acts as the ideal catalyst and repository for exactly this type of collaboration, working closely with HMG, policing, and industry to ensure a coordinated and effective approach. If your organisation wishes to explore opportunities to work with the NVCRP and make a real and tangible difference in the vehicle crime arena, then please make contact via the website / LinkedIn. Vehicle crime is no longer a local nuisance. It is a global criminal industry. Tackling it demands that policing, policymakers and industry work together with the same level of organisation and commitment as the criminals themselves.

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Videos
NVCRP interview with ACC Jenny Sims and Mark Kameen - Part 1NVCRP lead Mark Kameen had the opportunity to interview NPCC lead for vehicle crime ACC Jenny Sims, prior to her retirement from policing later this year. This is part one of a two part interview about Jenny's national work on vehicle crime , the role of the NVCRP and what she hopes will happen in the future regarding public/private partnerships to tackle the issue.

NVCRP interview with ACC Jenny Sims - Part 2Continuing on from Part 1, NVCRP Lead Mark Kameen speaks further with NPCC Lead for Vehicle Crime, ACC Jenny Sims, about the broader challenges and ongoing efforts in tackling vehicle crime. They discuss the importance of continued collaboration, stronger investigation, and the wider impact of vehicle crime beyond just theft and talk about the shared focus on the work still to be done.

Partnership approach - Interview with ACC Jenny SimsIn conversation with NVCRP Lead Mark Kameen, ACC Jenny Sims discusses the wider impact of vehicle crime, linking it to serious organised criminal activity. She highlights the profound effect on victims and the necessity for a unified law enforcement response.

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