Brian Sims
Editor
Brian Sims
Editor
THE NEW Labour Government has pledged to crack down on episodes of mobile phone and bag thefts in the wake of such criminality soaring by more than 150% in the last year alone. An estimated 78,000 individuals had their smart phones or bags grabbed from them on the streets, with policing intelligence suggesting that this is being driven by an increased demand for second-hand smart phones, both in the UK and overseas.
In order to tackle this challenge head on, tech companies and manufacturers alike will be called to attend a Home Office Summit on the issue that examines the new innovations that could take on the illegal market. This will build on anti-theft smart phone features that some tech firms have already rolled out in order to protect their customers.
Further, the Government will task police chiefs to tackle this scourge in neighbourhood theft. Operation Opal, the national police intelligence unit, will launch an intelligence probe designed to gather urgent intel on the criminals who steal mobile phones and where these devices end up. This will provide a stronger picture of the stolen mobile phone market and identify what more needs to be done to tackle the problem.
Local police will continue to surge police patrols in those areas most at risk of serious violence, including robberies at knifepoint, with the Government working alongside forces across the country to ensure that there’s a visible police presence in these areas to deter criminals and protect our communities.
New Home Office analysis commissioned by ministers concerned by growing reports of this issue has revealed the following:
*Crime Survey for England and Wales data estimates for the latest 12 months indicate the equivalent of more than 200 phone and bag thefts every day on streets across England and Wales, which is the highest rate in more than a decade and almost 60% higher than the annual average since 2012 to 2013
*the latest Crime Survey estimates showed overall theft from the person, which includes ‘stealth’ thefts as well as attempts to steal from the person, increased by more than one-third in the past year
*the latest published estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show that, in the last 12 months, over one-third (36%) of theft from the person offences involved the theft of a mobile phone
Troubling statistics
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson DBE said: “With new phones coming to market and young people going back to school and university, many of us will have a new phone in our hands at this time of year. These theft figures are troubling and the Government is determined to do whatever’s necessary to protect people who are entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.”
Dame Diana added: “As part of our ‘Safer Streets’ mission, this new Government is determined to crack down on mobile phone and bag theft, knife-enabled robbery and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities. We’re working to have thousands more uniformed police officers in our communities and restore neighbourhood policing.”
Further, Dame Diana noted: “Phone companies must ensure that any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled rather than them being re-registered for sale on the second-hand market. We will be meeting with them very soon to discuss what further action is required to make that happen.”
According to the Policing Minister: “If we work together, Government, tech companies and law enforcement can break the business model of the phone thieves and moped gangs who rely on this trade.”
Devastating impact
Richard Smith, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on the subject of personal robbery, explained: “Personal robbery can have a devastating impact on victims, leaving them with trauma which can be lasting. Criminals often target some of the most vulnerable in society, such as children, with threats that violence may be used, making robbery particularly traumatic. We continue to target those habitual criminals responsible for prolific offending, while also working to prevent young people from beginning this type of offending.”
Smith went on to comment: “During Operation Calibre, our national police week of action against personal robbery, police forces targeted their activity in over 1,250 known ‘hotspot’ areas, increasing our visibility and operational activity and arresting those intent on committing crime. We know that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem. Manufacturers and the tech industry have an important role to play in reducing opportunities for criminals to benefit from the re-sale of stolen handsets.”
