A fourfold increase in the number of blue badge thefts in London is partly the result of local authority cuts, warns London Assembly Member.
A total of 6,415 badges were stolen last year, according to the Metropolitan Police. This marks a dramatic increase on the 1,230 badges stolen in 2014.
Blue Badges are used to help people with disabilities or health conditions park closer to their destination.
London Assembly Member Unmesh Desai, who uncovered the figures, warned the rise in thefts is the outcome of a ‘perfect storm’ of an overstretched Met and cuts to council budgets.
‘Blue badge theft is not a victimless crime. Behind each of these numbers is a Londoner robbed of their ability to live and travel independently – and a criminal using their badge to avoid parking fines and effectively defraud taxpayers,’ Assembly Member Desai said.
‘These figures are the outcome of a perfect storm of underfunding and neglect of disabled Londoners. Londoners have seen overstretched police budgets and underfunded councils, both of whom need investment into staff and training to catch those using stealing and misusing badges.’
Paul Stowey, founder of Blue Badge Fraud Investigations, said: ‘These statistics are a sad reflection on London in 2024. The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members, but on average 18 Londoners a day find themselves a victim of crime purely because they are disabled. This is clearly unacceptable.’
He added: ‘I warn offenders: the badges have serial numbers on the front. They are easy to identify and it's an easy crime to solve if the police can prioritise it. The courts take a very dim view of drivers who use stolen badges.’
