WEST Devon continues to buck the trend with falling car thefts, said Okehampton PC Chris Vercoe at the start of a national campaign on the issue.
The Home Office aims to cut car crime by 30 per cent in three years, but in West Devon it has fallen by around 50 per cent this year, according to PC Vercoe.
Between April and October only eight vehicles were stolen, against 16 in the same period last year.
The total number of car-related crimes was 154 in the April-October period this year, compared with 183 last year.
PC Vercoe said the police had concentrated on places where such crimes were common, such as Dartmoor beauty spots.
Police had worked with Dartmoor wardens to monitor the gateways to the moor and keep watch on known criminals.
Recently, police had contacted garages to ask them to distribute leaflets listing ways of avoiding crime to their customers.