I just can't see it making a difference. If they somehow catch the thieves, will they arrest them? What will happen afterwards? Will anyone sit in jail? Will it actually make a difference?

My experience with living in the UK is that new laws/regulations/whatever come into effect but in reality there is very little enforcement.

The rules only worked because people generally just followed them. If people don't follow them, I don't believe the system is equipped to handle it.

There courts are overloaded, the police are overworked and I don't know the state of the prisons, but my gut tells me it's not great.