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Chief Inspector Oli Fisher

Mark Kameen

Andy Wood

What is NVCRP

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

As 2025 draws to a close, it marks the end of a highly productive year for the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership. The year included an important milestone for the Partnership, which celebrated its first anniversary in November. In just over twelve months, the NVCRP has established itself as a credible national body, delivering measurable outcomes and strengthening the UK’s response to organised vehicle crime through a clear strategy and coordinated action. Mark Kameen MSc, NVCRP Project Lead, said: “2025 has shown what can be achieved when we take a coordinated approach and keep delivery at the centre of everything we do. We’ve strengthened national capability, supported forces with practical activity, and made sure the organised vehicle crime threat is being understood in the right places. Just as importantly, we’ve brought people together, across policing, government, industry, and specialist partners, to share intelligence, align priorities and act at pace. The progress this year is a solid platform to build on as we move into 2026, with even stronger partnership working and a continued focus on measurable impact.”   Launch of the National Vehicle Crime Strategy A key achievement during 2025 was the national launch of the National Vehicle Crime Strategy, led by the NVCRP. The Strategy sets out a clear, three-year framework for tackling organised vehicle crime through five strategic pillars, providing a consistent national direction for enforcement, prevention, intelligence development, and partnership working. The Strategy has underpinned activity throughout the year, supporting the alignment of policing, government, and industry efforts, and providing a strong foundation for securing investment, driving delivery, and measuring impact. It has been communicated widely across national and international forums and continues to guide the Partnership’s priorities.   Building Capability Through Targeted Investment A major achievement in 2025 has been the NVCRP’s success in securing Home Office grant funding to strengthen national intelligence capability. This funding increased the Opal establishment from one to three staff, tripling capacity and securing those posts for the next two years. In parallel, the NVCRP and NaVCIS jointly funded a fourth Opal post from their own budgets for a 12-month period. Combined, these investments have delivered a 300% increase in Opal staffing within the Partnership’s first year, significantly enhancing the quality, depth, and responsiveness of the national intelligence picture. Further Home Office funding was secured to support two additional NaVCIS staff for a short-term analytical project focused on Ports. This work will deliver a comprehensive Ports Problem Profile, analysing five years of data to identify offenders, criminal methodologies, export routes, and the commercial enablers used in the illicit export of stolen vehicles.   Delivering National Enforcement Impact The NVCRP has consistently translated strategy into operational activity. A standout success was the securing of £275,000 from the Home Office to fund Operation Alliances II, a national week of action involving 37 police forces across England and Wales, supported by private sector partners. The operation delivered significant enforcement outcomes and generated 222 actionable intelligence logs, strengthening future disruption activity. Beyond this, the NVCRP has directly funded investigative activity across multiple forces, including Essex, West Midlands, the Metropolitan Police, West Yorkshire, and Merseyside, supporting priority investigations aligned to national threat assessments. Investment has also been made in specialist capability. NVCRP funding enabled officers in South Yorkshire Police to qualify as QSVE, addressing a strategic skills gap. This directly supported a partnership operation targeting a large-scale ‘chop shop,’ where stolen vehicles were successfully identified using newly trained staff, with additional support from JLR specialists. Industry engagement has continued to deliver tangible benefits. Jaguar Land Rover, facilitated by the NVCRP, provided significant investment to West Midlands Police, enabling the recruitment of dedicated Police Staff Investigators focused on vehicle crime.   Influencing National Policy and Thinking During 2025, the NVCRP’s work and approach were reflected in a report published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), which called for the creation of a national investigative body and stronger national coordination of the police, partner, and industry response to organised vehicle crime. The NVCRP had already developed an action plan aligned to these principles, including strengthening Port security, closing intelligence gaps, modernising legislation, and enhancing vehicle security through manufacturer collaboration and rapid intelligence sharing, all of which featured in the RUSI report’s recommendations. RUSI recognised the critical role played by the NVCRP in tackling organised vehicle crime, highlighting the Partnership’s ability to foster cross-sector collaboration and proactive security thinking as essential to staying ahead of evolving criminal threats.   Ports, Policy, and Ministerial Engagement Addressing the vulnerability of UK Ports has been a central strategic priority. During 2025, the NVCRP coordinated a law-enforcement, Ministerial-led roundtable at the Home Office, focused on clarifying organisational responsibilities and identifying opportunities to strengthen enforcement and prevention activity at Ports. The Partnership also delivered a closed briefing to the former Policing Minister, Diana Johnson, highlighting the scale and complexity of organised vehicle crime, particularly the export of stolen vehicles, and setting out the case for additional investment to support delivery of the NVCRP Strategy. Ongoing briefings to senior stakeholders, including the Home Office, Europol, Interpol, BIFA and Dr Rick Muir, Advisor to the Home Secretary, have ensured consistent messaging around the threat and the Partnership’s response. This sustained engagement contributed directly to the NVCRP securing approximately £700,000 in grant funding during 2025.   International Collaboration and Influence The NVCRP’s work has gained increasing international recognition. Alongside NaVCIS, NPCC and Opal, the Partnership attended the 5th Interpol Global Vehicle Crime Conference in Lyon, where NVCRP and NaVCIS delivered a presentation outlining the Partnership model and the NVCRP National Strategy, which closely aligned with approaches adopted by international counterparts. During the conference, the NVCRP worked with partner nations to build support for a Ports-focused recommendation examining vulnerabilities in the export of stolen vehicles. This recommendation was formally raised, ratified, and is now progressing, with the NPCC arranging next steps with Interpol. Additional international engagement included attendance at a Europol vehicle crime conference on Port vulnerabilities, as well as meetings with Canadian representatives, the Department for Trade and Chief Officers of Ports Police, to share best practices and explore opportunities for strengthening controls. The NVCRP is also working with the Global Initiative on a further paper examining organised vehicle crime and destination markets.   Communications, Visibility and Public Confidence The NVCRP website has continued to develop throughout 2025, offering expanded content including crime prevention advice, blogs, and news updates. Membership has now grown to over 300 organisations. To strengthen reach and consistency, the NVCRP appointed Purple PR to deliver an increased volume of professional communications, including social media updates on operational activity, partnerships, conferences, and prevention messaging. As a result, LinkedIn followers have grown significantly. This work supports the delivery of Pillar 5 of the NVCRP Strategy and reinforces the Partnership’s credibility with government and potential future funders. The NVCRP has also engaged extensively with national media, including The Times, ITN, Police Insight Magazine, Professional Security Magazine, and the Daily Mail, raising awareness of organised vehicle crime, its impact on communities and industry, and providing crime prevention advice. Operation Alliances II generated widespread national coverage. The Partnership has communicated its three-year Strategy at major conferences throughout the year, including Interpol, Europol, The Police Foundation at RUSI, SMMT, Selectamark, IAATI and the Road Haulage Association.   December Update: Collaboration in Practice To end the year, Mark Kameen, attended The Police Foundation event on “The Role of Private–Public Partnerships in Tackling Theft and Fraud” at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in Whitehall. Mark participated in a panel discussion chaired by Dame Sara Thornton DBE QPM, alongside senior leaders from policing and industry. The discussion reinforced the importance of structured public–private collaboration, reflecting a key recommendation from The Police Foundation report: that the Government should actively encourage partnerships between policing and the private sector and provide a clear policy framework to support them.   Looking Ahead As the NVCRP enters 2026, it does so with strengthened capability, increased influence, and a proven ability to deliver against national priorities. The progress made during 2025 provides a strong foundation for continued delivery of the NVCRP Strategy and further reductions in organised vehicle crime.   The NVCRP thanks everyone who has supported, contributed to, and engaged with the Partnership over the past year. Your commitment, expertise and collaboration have helped drive real progress. Together, we are strengthening the national response to organised vehicle crime and building the foundations for even greater impact in 2026.

Although Christmas is a time for celebration and travel, it is also a period when the risk of vehicle theft can increase. Our routines shift: we may leave cars parked for longer on driveways or quiet streets, use unfamiliar areas while visiting friends and family, and return home later in the evening. Coupled with shorter days and longer winter nights, these changes can make it easier for thieves to identify opportunities, particularly when they are looking for a quick and low-risk way to take a vehicle. One of the biggest developments in recent years has been the rise of keyless vehicles. This technology is convenient, but it does require a little more thought at home, especially during the festive season. Many thefts now involve criminals capturing or relaying the signal from a key fob to unlock and start a car without ever touching the keys themselves. Simple adjustments can reduce that risk significantly. Consider where your keys are stored and whether they are visible or accessible from doors or windows; some thieves will even “fish” keys through letterboxes if they can see where they are kept. Using a security pouch, often called a Faraday bag or RFID blocker, prevents the key fob signal from being intercepted. These are helpful all year round, but particularly important at Christmas when you may be away from home or leaving your car unused for several days. While some people rely on metal tins as a substitute, it is safer to use a pouch that has been independently tested and approved by the police security initiative Secured by Design. It is also worth checking whether your key fob can be disabled when not in use, as some manufacturers allow this additional safeguard and your dealer can advise on the specific options for your vehicle. Winter weather can create another, often overlooked, risk. On cold mornings, many drivers start their car to defrost it and leave it running while they go back inside or keep the engine on while going in and out, loading bags, presents or luggage. Unfortunately, an unattended running car is one of the easiest targets for an opportunist thief. Even on a driveway, it can take only seconds for someone to get in and drive away. If you need to warm or defrost your windscreen, stay with the vehicle and keep the doors locked. When loading up for trips, switching the engine off and locking the car each time you step away removes a clear opportunity for theft. Physical deterrents remain highly effective because most car thieves want speed and simplicity. A visible steering wheel lock or wheel clamp can be enough to make a thief move on to an easier target. The same applies to securing the space around where your car is parked. If you have a garage, using it keeps the vehicle out of sight and adds an extra barrier. Ensuring garage doors are sturdy and locked, and making use of gates, bollards, or driveway barriers where possible, can all help prevent a vehicle from being taken quickly. Any measure that slows down a theft attempt increases the chance that the thief will abandon it. It is also sensible to think about recovery as well as prevention. GPS trackers can be a worthwhile addition, assisting in locating a stolen vehicle and improving the chances of it being recovered. Likewise, CCTV or doorbell cameras facing a driveway or parking area can act as both a deterrent and a valuable source of evidence. If you do install domestic CCTV, ensure you follow the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance so that your setup remains compliant. If you are travelling away for Christmas and leaving your car at home, a few simple steps can reduce the risk of it being targeted while you are gone. Where possible, park off the road, on a driveway or in a garage, rather than leaving the vehicle in a quiet street for days at a time. If you have gates or physical barriers, use them. Consider asking a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on the property, or to move the car occasionally so it does not appear unattended for an extended period. Most importantly, continue to store keyless fobs securely and out of sight while you are away, ideally in a Faraday pouch, rather than near doors or windows. As the festive season gathers pace, it’s easy to get swept up in the bustle of late-night shopping trips, visits to loved ones, and the excitement of plans coming together. With so much going on, a moment’s distraction is all it takes for a thief to spot an opportunity, which is why a little added vigilance at this time of year can go a long way. Taking a few simple precautions now helps ensure your car stays exactly where it should be, leaving you free to enjoy the holiday season without any unwelcome interruptions.

November has been a busy month that really captured what the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership is about: bringing the right people together, backing that collaboration with action, and keeping pace with a threat that never stands still. While organised vehicle crime continues to evolve in scale and sophistication, NVCRP has spent this month strengthening the foundations that make a national and international response possible and showing what that response can deliver. A standout moment in November was the NVCRP’s first anniversary. One year on from launch, NVCRP has moved from a strong vision to an established national force. In just 12 months, it has helped shape a unified direction for tackling vehicle crime, developed deeper working relationships between policing and industry, and secured the resources needed to turn strategy into impact. The anniversary blog from Project Lead, Mark Kameen, reflects on that journey and makes clear that year one wasn’t a warm-up; it was a genuine step-change in how organised vehicle crime is being confronted in the UK. Read the blog here: Driving Change: The NVCRP Marks Its First Year of Action Operationally, November has also been about evidence. Following October’s Op Alliances initiative, the NVCRP has been able to share results from data collated by Opal that underline why coordinated, funded enforcement matters. With Home Office funding sourced by the NVCRP, 37 forces across England and Wales have been able to target the organised networks behind vehicle theft, cloning, dismantling, and export. The emerging picture is one of meaningful disruption: arrests made, stolen vehicles recovered, and criminal infrastructure uncovered. It’s not just a list of numbers; it’s proof that when policing, government and industry pull in the same direction, organised crime groups lose ground. The month also pushed NVCRP’s work beyond UK borders. Mark Kameen travelled to Lyon for INTERPOL’s Global Conference on Vehicle Crime, joining partners from across the world to share insight on threats that are increasingly international by default. A clear theme from the conference was how closely other countries’ challenges mirror our own, and how many global strategies now revolve around the same principle that NVCRP was built on: public-private partnership. As technology reshapes criminal tactics, the conference reinforced that collaboration and intelligence-led thinking aren’t optional extras; they’re essential tools in staying ahead. Back on home soil, November ended with a strong signal of intent for year two. The end-of-year NVCRP Steering Group, hosted at Toyota HQ in Epsom, brought together policing, industry and government to reflect on what’s been achieved and map the priorities ahead. The mood was forward-looking and practical: build on what’s working, bring more partners into the room, secure further funding, and keep delivering a strategy that has real impact for victims, communities, and industry alike. It was also a fitting way to close the anniversary month, not with a pause, but with the next chapter already taking shape. Overall, November has felt like a pivot point: a moment where NVCRP is both celebrating how far it has come and proving what it can do when the Partnership model is fully in motion. The threat is complex and fast-moving, but this month showed a Partnership that is becoming quicker, sharper, and more connected, nationally and internationally, with every step.

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.