More than 200 smartphones are snatched every day, driven by an increased demand for second-hand devices here in the UK and abroad.
Some 78,000 people had phones or bags stolen from them on British streets in the year to March 2024.
That is a rise of more than 150% on the 31,000 ‘snatch thefts’ in the 12 months before, according to data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Figures also show that four in five police investigations were closed before a suspect was even found and just 0.8% of ‘theft from the person’ complaints resulted in a charge.
The government has pledged to crackdown on the scourge, with the Home Office saying it will work more closely with tech firms and police chiefs.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: ‘These figures are troubling, and the Government is determined to do whatever’s necessary to protect people entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.
‘This new government is determined to crack down on snatch theft, knife-enabled robbery, and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities, and we are working to get thousands more uniformed officers into our communities to restore neighbourhood policing.
‘Phone companies must ensure that any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled, rather than re-registered for sale on the second-hand market, and we will be meeting them soon to discuss what further action is required to make that happen.
‘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.’
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for personal robbery, Commander Richard Smith, added: ‘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, whilst working to prevent young people from being into this type of offending.’
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