Blue Badge thefts quadruple in London

Around 6,415 of the disabled parking permits were stolen in the capital in 2023, reports Noah Vickers, local democracy reporter

The number of Blue Badge thefts in London has more than quadrupled in the past decade, new figures have revealed.

While 1,230 badges were stolen in the capital in 2014, the number has risen almost every year since, reaching 6,415 in 2023.

Blue badges are meant to help people with disabilities or health conditions park closer to their destination, but fraud is rife in London and other major cities across the country.

Paul Slowey, founder of Blue Badge Fraud Investigations – a community interest company working to tackle the problem – said the new figures were “a sad reflection on London in 2024”.

He added: “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 victims of crime simply because they are disabled. This is clearly unacceptable.

“I warn criminals: the badges have serial numbers on the front. They are easy to identify and it is an easy crime to solve if the police can prioritize. The courts take a very dim view of drivers using stolen badges.”

The figures were released in response to a written question from Unmesh Desai, a Labor member of the London Assembly, who claims a lack of funding for both the Metropolitan Police and district councils is behind the sharp increase in crime.

He said: “Behind every one of these numbers is a Londoner who has lost the ability to live and travel independently – and a criminal who uses his badge to avoid parking fines and effectively defraud taxpayers.

“These figures are the result of a perfect storm of underfunding and neglect of disabled Londoners. Londoners have seen police budgets overstretched and councils underfunded, both of which need investment in staff and training to catch those stealing and misusing badges.

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“With adequate funding, training and data sharing to help protect disabled drivers from being targeted by criminals, we can tackle this problem. I also encourage blue badge holders to hide their badges overnight or purchase a blue badge protector.”

But Tory assembly member Susan Hall, who stood against Sadiq Khan in the recent mayoral election, said the Labor mayor was to blame.

She pointed out that the Met Police received government funding to hire 4,557 new officers last year, but feel they are more than 1,000 short as only 3,468 have been recruited.

“Unfortunately, the mayor was the only police and crime commissioner in the country to fail to meet these recruitment targets and funding was lost,” Hall said.

The mayor previously said “a host of reasons” were to blame for the MET’s failure to hit the target, such as stricter vetting requirements for new recruits and concerns about pay levels during a cost-of-living crisis that has particularly hit London.

The Government says the Met is the largest funded force in England and Wales and is set to receive up to £3.5bn in 2024/25, an increase of up to £119m on the previous year. This includes £185m in recognition of the increased demands the force is facing from policing in the capital.

Hall continued: “We are incredibly concerned that crimes such as theft have become effectively decriminalized under Sadiq Khan’s watch, without any investigation or resolution for victims.

“We are very pleased to help raise awareness among vulnerable Londoners of this 400% rise in Blue Badge theft and to share information on how they can best protect themselves from this Mayor’s crime.”

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