Jaguar Land Rover invests £1m to help police combat car thieves and allay owner concerns

Jaguar Land Rover is to invest more than £1m to help police tackle car thefts in the UK as part of ongoing efforts to reassure its luxury vehicle owners. 

The cash will be used to support police operations in hotspots, as well as fund intelligence gathering and target ports used by criminal gangs to smuggle stolen vehicles abroad, including Range Rovers.

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In addition to this direct support, specialist JLR teams continue to assist police by sharing expertise on the tactics and tools used in the theft of its vehicles, as well as help in recovery efforts and to bring prosecutions.

The investment forms part of action being taken by the carmaker to support customers.

Last year, JLR launched its own insurance product after owners of its vehicles struggled to get cover following a spate of keyless Range Rover thefts.

It has already provided more than 46,300 quotes, with an average premium offered of £183 per month.

JLR has also moved to bolster the security of both new and older generation vehicles.

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It points to official police national computer (PNC) data which shows since January 2022, only 0.2% of new Range Rover and new Range Rover Sports have been stolen, while only 0.3% of new Defenders have been affected since launch in 2020.

The vehicles are a favourite amongst celebrities, VIPs and royalty with prices starting from around £75,000 for the Range Rover Sport and £104,000 for the larger Range Rover.

JLR managing director Patrick McGillycuddy said: "We are constantly developing our systems and security features and through our close collaboration with police, we stay ahead of any emerging methods and quickly deploy anti-theft measures.

"This additional investment, coupled with our other ongoing and proactive action, shows our commitment to supporting the authorities in having a tangible impact on combating this issue in the UK."