Bull. Real simple. OP had no proof. The plate number is meaningless. Even if the police could track down the car, there is a good chance it does not belong to the actual thief. The owner could just say he was not in the area or he might admit he was but was just driving by and op just grabbed his plate number. Even if the police could bring in the thief for the op to identify, he could simply say he grabbed it by mistake or some other excuse, like it was not him. The very low chance of prosecution combined with the low property value taken and the fact the theft was only attempted, just does not make it worth it to pursue. As a taxpayer, I would be pissed if the local police pursued such a case rather than protecting the community even if all that means is being on patrol.