Victims of mobile phone thefts are tracking down their stolen devices to the SAME address while police ‘do nothing’ – as figures reveal how one is stolen every six minutes in London – with just 2% ever recovered
- Data shows 91,000 phone thefts took place across London in 2022 alone
- HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke branded figures ‘unacceptable’
- Have you had your phone stolen? Email [email protected]
Victims of mobile phone thefts are tracking their stolen devices to the same address while police ‘do nothing’ to retrieve them – as new figures show one is stolen every six minutes in London but just two per cent are recovered.
Around 91,000 phone thefts were recorded across the capital last year alone, but fewer than 2,000 were returned to their owners amid fears it is has become ‘a crime that goes unpunished’.
Victims have revealed their trust in police to tackle the issue has become ‘non-existent’ after detailing how they have been able to track down the location of their phones, yet the crime has remained unsolved.
Sharon Browne-Peter, who runs a sickle-cell anaemia charity, recalled how her phone was snatched from her hand by a man riding a bicycle as she waited for a bus in Islington, north London, in February earlier this year.
Have you had your phone stolen and been able to track its location ? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
Around 91,000 phone thefts were recorded across the capital last year alone/ Pictured: Two motorcyclists approach a man on his phone before snatching the device
She tracked the location of the device and informed police, but her phone was never retrieved.
Ms Browne Peter told the BBC: ‘They told me that there were hundreds of cases at that same address but there’s nothing they can really do. So after that point, I just sort of left it.’
READ MORE – Revealed: Victims of London phone theft find their stolen mobiles are ending up in the SAME street in Chinese city
Megan Kenyon, 25, who has had her mobile phone stolen twice in the same area within the last year, said it feels like ‘a crime that goes unpunished’.
Both incidents happened when someone on a motorcycle or bike cycled up close whilst she was walking on the street, before snatching the phone out of her hand.
She said: ‘I knew the police wouldn’t do anything about it. The first time it happened and I reported it, nothing happened. (This was) despite the fact that I was able to track its location and see where it had been taken to.
‘On the second occasion, I had a conversation with a police officer who said that because the thief was wearing a balaclava, there was nothing they could do.’
Ms Kenyon added: ‘It just feels like there is no point in reporting it in the first place, unless you need to for your insurance.
‘It’s only for proof not for any repercussions. It’s a crime that goes unpunished, there seems to be no effort from the police to prevent this.
‘You feel very violated, your whole life is on your phone, you can be left not knowing what to do.’
Georgina Banham had her phone snatched by a man on a bicycle in Walworth, south London, as she spoke to her father while walking to a supermarket.
She tracked her phone’s location as it moved to an address in London, on to Dubai and then China.
Despite reporting the crime to the Metropolitan Police, she only received a case number and was never phoned about the incident.
She said: ‘My trust in the police is non-existent.’
Both incidents happened when someone on a motorcycle or bike cycled up close whilst she was walking on the street, before snatching the phone out of her hand (file image)
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke (pictured) attributed the number of offences going unsolved to ‘missed opportunities’ from increasingly inexperienced investigators
It comes as HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke admitted ‘the stats don’t make for good reading’ as he attributed the number of offences going unsolved to ‘missed opportunities’ from increasingly inexperienced investigators.
He told BBC’s Today programme: ‘It is not just an issue for the Metropolitan Police, but across the country. There are a number of facets to it, first of all the demand on policing is ever increasing and policing does have finite resources, so it needs to prioritise accordingly.
‘However, on a recent inspection that we did in relation to volume crime – burglary, robbery and theft – it was quite apparent that policing didn’t always make the most of the opportunities it had to catch those responsible for it.
‘What we found on our most recent inspection was that from the first point of contact, when the first time the call was coming in, opportunities weren’t being taken firstly to secure forensic evidence and, secondly, to give good crime prevention advice.
‘Moving on from there, the investigations themselves were not always timely, so that golden hour of opportunity to preserve the forensic evidence was missed.
‘Investigators, because policing has recruited an awful lot of people in a short period of time, there is a good deal of inexperience there. When you have inexperienced people, you need very strong supervision and we found that was missing in many, many forces across the country.’
It is believed that the iPhones are likely being stripped for parts and filtered into legal markets, or being turned into ‘Frankenstein phones’.
Westminster (25,899 thefts), Camden (7,892) and Hackney (4,618) were among the worst hit boroughs last year.
The Met Police said officers ‘run daily operations to target offenders’.
A Met Police spokesman added: ‘The recovery of phones is difficult as those stealing them pass them on to be sold very quickly.
‘Police run daily operations to target offenders and work with second hand retailers to crack down on stolen mobile phones being sold on.
‘Specially trained officers focus their attention on hotspot areas, as well as key times of the day, to prevent those intent on using mopeds and other means of transport to steal from being able to do so.’
Have you had your phone stolen and been able to track its location ? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
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