London has witnessed a remarkable decrease in mobile phone thefts, thanks to the relentless efforts of the Metropolitan Police Service’s targeted operations. According to recent statistics, last year saw 71,391 reported cases of phone theft, a staggering 10,000 fewer than the previous year’s 81,365. Despite an impressive 12% reduction in phone theft rates, London still experiences one phone theft every seven to eight minutes. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist acknowledged the issue persists, albeit at a lower scale.
The Metropolitan Police has taken a proactive approach to combat phone theft, using innovative tactics such as deploying officers with BodyWorn Video (BWV) cameras and, for the first time, employing drones to track down culprits. The force has also revealed that it has been actively recruiting 14-year-old or younger individuals on social media, allegedly paying them £100 to steal phones as part of organized crime groups.
In the past month, the police have arrested 248 individuals in connection with phone theft, recovering 770 stolen phones in the process. Furthermore, 122 others have been taken into custody. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has called for stricter bail policies, urging courts to refrain from granting bail to repeat offenders to prevent them from committing further crimes. He has also urged phone manufacturers and telecommunications companies to make it more challenging for stolen phones to be reactivated or resold.
The Commissioner noted that the 10,000 fewer phone thefts last year meant 10,000 fewer individuals suffered from emotional distress. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has proposed establishing a £4.5 million Command Centre in the West End to tackle thefts and muggings.
