Vehicle crime in Manchester city centre car parks sees significant reduction over a 12-month period

A proactive policing operation led by officers in the city centre has seen vehicle crime in car parks significantly reduce over a sustained 12-month period.

Following a targeted, intelligence-led policing focusing on prevention and enforcement, vehicle crime across the city centre has been reduced by 38 per cent across the board, falling from 1,469 crimes in 2024 to 908 in 2025.

The most significant reduction has been in theft from motor vehicle, which has dropped by 41 per cent, decreasing from 1,271 recorded offences in 2024 to 752 in 2025.

Theft of vehicles and vehicle interference have both fallen by 21 per cent respectively. These figures reflect the progress that has been made in the city centre across a range of vehicle related offences.

The operation – which has been led by our city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team – saw a data-driven approach to understanding why offences were occurring and where resources could have the greatest impact.

Investigations identified that offenders were often targeting car parks that were low-risk high-reward, particularly where valuable items were left visible or where there was limited CCTV in operation.

In response, officers introduced a range of measures including high visibility patrols in hotspot locations during peak times, enhanced monitoring and management of repeat offenders, and implementation and improvement of CCTV in those areas. We also worked closely with key car park operators, local businesses and partners to improve site security and share information.

Significant reductions have been recorded at a number of car parks in the city centre, New Quay Street car park offences have fallen by 56 per cent, at Great Northern, crime has reduced by 61 per cent. Bridge Street has also seen a 57 per cent reduction, while Central Convention Complex has fallen by 42 per cent.

We have recently seen an offender Marco Marmolejo Chunza (05.08.1974) of Elizabeth Road, London, sentenced to 19 months in prison after being found guilty of two thefts from motor vehicles in the city centre.

As recent as Monday 15 June 2026, our officers arrested a man in his 30s – who was known to us to be a prolific vehicle theft offender – further highlighting the sustained work we are doing around this area to prevent any further incidents taking place.

Using Home Office costing estimates for vehicle crime, it has been calculated that the overall cost of offences in city centre car parks has fallen from approximately £2.38 million in 2024 to around £1.6 million in 2025. This represents an estimated saving of £779,250 over the course of 12 months, demonstrating the wider economic impact of reducing crime alongside the benefits for victims and communities.

 

Inspector Kam Hare from our city centre Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Manchester city centre attracts millions of visitors from across the country – and the world - each year, whether they are coming here for work, to shop, to enjoy the nightlife or to experience everything the city has to offer. We want every one of those visitors to feel confident that when they park their vehicle, their belongings will be safe while they go off and explore.

“These results are as a direct reflection of the hard work, commitment and professionalism of our officers, who have taken a proactive and problem-solving approach to tackling vehicle crime.

“By focusing on hot-spot locations and peak times where offences are most likely to take place, targeting known individuals responsible for these sorts of crimes, and working closely with our partners, we have been able to deliver substantial and meaningful reductions.

“This is about more than just statistics – it’s about preventing people from becoming victims of crime and making sure Manchester remains a safe, welcoming and vibrant city for everyone. We will continue to build on this success and maintain that focus going forward.”

Neighbourhood Policing Week of action is currently taking place from 15 to 21 June 2026.

Neighbourhood policing is more than a role – it is a specialism that requires knowledge, skill and strong leadership. 

Officers and PCSOs working in neighbourhood teams are often the first point of contact for local people, building trust, preventing crime and dealing with the issues that matter most to the communities they serve, including anti-social behaviour.

We have around 1,400 neighbourhood officers working across 38 teams at GMP – they are based in all 10 of our districts.