Met police launch campaign to dent spiraling London street robbery crime wave
The Metropolitan Police have launched a campaign in an attempt to get a grip on a street robbery crime wave which is sweeping London’s streets.
Figures published by the BBC reveal that 160 mobile phones are snatched from pedestrians every day – but offenders are only ever traced three or four times out of 10.
Opportunistic thefts have surged in tandem with the value of mobile phones with iPhones, which account for half of all stolen phones, retailing for up to £250 in the black market.
In December there were a total of 17,583 robberies and thefts in the capital, a big jump on December 2011’s figure of 16,084, with 56,680 mobiles snatched between April and September.
Nearly 10,000 mobiles were pilfered last month alone.
Det Ch Supt Simon Letchford said: "Having your personal possessions on show gives robbers a chance to make easy money.
"Just being conscious of where you are and being careful about when you display your valuables can help you avoid being targeted."