The Met Police says 90,864 phones, or almost 250 a day, were stolen in 2022.
The London mayor and Met commissioner have urged mobile industry bosses to “design out” incentives to steal them. In an open letter, mayor Sadiq Khan and Met chief Sir Mark Rowley said software designers must “develop solutions to make this crime less rewarding”.
They urged mobile phone providers to work with City Hall and police as new figures show that mobile phone crime is driving the rise in robberies and thefts in the capital with 38% of all personal robberies last year involving a phone being stolen.
Statistics also show nearly 70% of all thefts in London last year related to mobile phones.
Mobile UK, representing UK networks, said measures were in place to “combat” theft. Leading phone makers Apple and Samsung have been asked to comment.
Speaking on the new data, Sir Mark said: “The current practice of allowing stolen mobiles to be re-registered by new users within the phone industry inadvertently enables a criminal market which drives robbery, thefts and violent offending in London. We’ve been really clear there are root causes of violence we cannot tackle alone. We need partners to step up to the plate and work alongside us to break this cycle of violence.”
Police data shows young people are disproportionately involved in robberies, both as victims and perpetrators, with those aged between 14-20 particularly at risk of being targeted by criminals.
Mr Khan said it was “simply too easy and profitable for criminals right now to repurpose and sell on stolen phones”.
Surely there must be technology which can control the re-use/re-purpose of mobile phones?
I wonder how many of these phones are taken because the numpty owner of the phone is either walking along looking the screen and not where they are going … or are talking on the phone speaker, shouting out loud as they chat and annoying everyone around them? I’ve often considered grabbing the phone from such idiots to save them from themselves (and benefitting everyone else).
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen technology that allows you to remotely wipe your phone clean if anyone has it. I’m guessing that would enable the owner to disable the phone as well. I’ve never done it. I don’t know if it’s an easy procedure.
There seems to be a habit, usually young women carrying their mobile phones protruding from the back pockets of their jeans .
Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me?
