Interesting reading this, partly because an unrivalled level of Nobbish behaviour from one of us!
Just my tuppence worth:
I had a new (at the time) golf Gti stolen from my drive, they smashed a kitchen window and took the keys – I remember feeling incredibly angry, not for the car, but because the kids were asleep upstairs, above the kitchen.
The police were fantastic (not a phrase often typed!). The new where the car would be left to see if it had a tracker fitted and staked it out for a couple of days – no luck.
The team that looked after the crime were specifically targetted at higher value car crime – they said keep your keys with you as the last thing they will ever do is challenge you for them. They do not want to be recognised as that could be the end of their “career”
Of course the above only applies to “professional” car crime – the drugged up guy looking to get your car to sell on for more coke may not have this clarity of thought. I would have thought the chances would be in favour of the professionals , rather than hoodies doing a TWOC crime though?