Number of and damage to registered vehicles (FOI)

Request

Under the freedom of information act I would like to request the following information.

A.

How many vehicles are currently registered in jersey, including privately owned as well as states/government owned?

B.

How many privately owned vehicles fall victim to malicious damage each year (the past five years)?

C.

How many Government owned vehicles fall victim to malicious damaged/ each year (the past five years)?

D.

How many vehicles have been registered in Jersey in the past five years?

E.

How many vehicles have been deported and imported into the island over the past five years (including privately owned vehicles and government vehicles)

F.

How many states owned vehicles have been victim to arson over the past five years?

G.

How many privately owned vehicles have fallen victim to arson over the past five years?

H.

How many people have fallen victim to theft from their vehicles, over the past five years?

I.

If stated and logged were those people who were victim to theft from vehicles what was the average value of goods stolen and where any security measures taken by the victim to prevent theft (i.e. locked doors, alarms, etc), over the past five years?

J.

If available, what is the most common type of vehicles to be targeted, in regards to its value and make, over the past five years or average over any period of time (if available)?

K.

To those vehicles victim to car crime in relation to malicious damage, theft from vehicles and arson where were they parked during the incident (i.e. rural and urban areas in proportion to Jersey)?

Response

This question has been answered by both the States of Jersey Police and Transport and Technical Services Department (TTS). 

A.

I can confirm that the Transport and Technical Services Department holds this information.

This information is exempt under Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. See exemption details below. However, the information is available by following the below link.

Justification for exemption

Previous FOI request made and published containing information required for this question.

Refer to response `A', `further information' below. 

Number of vehicles registered in Jersey (FOI)

B.

C.

Information not held. The States of Jersey Police when recording information do not distinguish between owners of vehicles subject to theft or damage.

The TTS Department does not specifically categorise this information and therefore the information is not `held’ under the law. 

To review all records would exceed the time limits specified under the law. 

However, for the sake of clarity, the officers involved do not recall significant examples of malicious damage to States’ vehicles, maybe three in five years and not specifically targeted due to being ‘governmental vehicles’.

D.

See response to request A and refer to response A.

E.

See response to request A and refer to response D.

It should be noted that the figures stated are the total number of vehicles which have been declared 'exported' to the department.

In relation to the number of vehicles imported into the Island, DVS does not hold that specific information. 

However, the total number of vehicles registered by year (new and used) all of which would have been imported into Jersey, is contained in response (A) and may prove useful to the enquiry.

F.

Information not held. 

The TTS Department does not specifically categorise this information and therefore the information is not `held’ under the law. 

To review all records would exceed the time limits specified under the law. 

However, for the sake of clarity, the officers involved do not recall any examples of arson related to States’ owned vehicles in the past five years.

G.

Six vehicles in two separate incidents. 

In each case, one vehicle was set alight causing fire damage to two adjacent vehicles (recorded as two crimes).

H.

I and J.

It would take too long for the States of Jersey Police to interrogate each crime report. 

To do so would exceed the time limits specified under the law (12.5 hours).

However, a review of the 2014 thefts from motor vehicles (larceny unattended motor vehicle or LUMV in Jersey), showed unlocked vehicles form the largest group, followed by the smashing of a window to gain entry. 

Cars outnumber vans two to one. 

Whilst no particular make of vehicle appear to be targeted specifically, the Ford Fiesta and Ford Transit feature (seven and six crimes respectively), simply because of their greater numbers on the Island. 

​It would appear the reason for a particular vehicle being targeted is the fact it is unlocked (opportunist) or contains items desired by the thief, either in open view, or targeted, possibly due to the signage on the vehicle (gardening equipment etc).

Items most predominantly stolen are tools and gardening equipment from vans. 

From cars and vans: 

• ​​electronic equipment (phones, laptops, cameras, and satellite navigation systems)
  
• cash
  
• jewellery
  
• sunglasses
  

Parking pay cards are usually added to the haul.

Some vehicles are targeted for spare parts, eg wing mirror covers and aerials have been taken. 

Fuel and window insurance discs have been targeted, as well as the vehicle sound system.

K.

Time limitation prevents the requirement to search each and every crime recorded to show which took place in a rural or urban area. 

Each parish has a centre that could be described as urban.

No reference data is available to distinguish the boundaries between the two. 

The closest information the States Police can provide is ‘crimes committed within St Helier and those in other parishes’.