Electronic devices used in vehicle thefts to be banned under new Bill

Sophisticated electronic devices used by criminals in 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales, including ‘signal jammers’, will be banned under new laws.

Police officers and the courts will be given new powers to target criminals who steal vehicles using these devices and the organised groups that manufacture and supply them.

Previously, prosecution for handling these devices was only possible if it could be proved by police that they had been used to commit a specific crime.

Under these new laws, anyone who is found in possession of one, or to have imported, made, adapted or distributed them, could receive a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

The burden of proof will instead fall on the owner to prove they were using the device for a legitimate purpose, to avoid being prosecuted.

This new measure is included as part of the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which was been introduced to Parliament earlier this year.

The most common way theft from a vehicle – or the theft of the vehicle itself – occurs is with the use of these electronic devices, with keyless repeaters and signal amplifiers being used to scramble the signal from remote locking devices.

Here at Crimestoppers, we have run a national campaign on this issue, as well as several regional campaigns, targeting specific areas of the UK where the crime is rife.

According to the 2022/23 Crime Survey for England and Wales, an offender manipulated a signal from a remote locking device in 40% of thefts of vehicles. There were also 732,000 incidents of vehicle-related theft in the year ending September 2024.

The Metropolitan Police Service estimates that, in London, signal jammers are used in approximately 60 % of vehicle theft.

A significant proportion of vehicle theft is driven by organised crime groups, with stolen vehicles a “highly attractive and lucrative area for criminals to gain profit”, the Home Office said.

Organised criminals are constantly trying find ways to overcome security measures on vehicles, even in the latest models, by exploiting vulnerabilities in vehicles and new technologies.

If you have any information about those involved in these crimes, you can tell us what you know, 24/7, either by calling 0800 555 111, or by filling in our online form, here on our website.

 
23 May 2025