- London seeks collaboration with phone manufacturers to combat mobile phone pilferage.
After a significant surge in street snatchings of mobile devices in the UK, the British government, in tandem with the tech industry, is working to boost security. As per Crime Survey for England and Wales data, around 78,000 individuals in the UK fell victim to mobile phone or bag snatchings between April 2023 and March 2024. This represents a staggering 150% increase compared to the previous year. Many experts attribute this trend to the burgeoning demand for pre-owned smartphones.
The Home Office in London has arranged a meeting with technology firms and manufacturers to discuss potential solutions to curb these "grab-and-run" incidents. One potential strategy is the heightened implementation of "off" switches, which can instantly deactivate smartphones post-theft.
On average, there were approximately 200 such occurrences daily in England and Wales. In over a third (approximately 36%) of these incidents, the primary target was a mobile phone. Unfortunately, these cases seldom result in prosecutions, with over 80% of investigations never advancing beyond the initial stages with a suspect being identified.
Police Minister Diana Johnson expressed her concerns over these statistics. She commented, "Mobile network providers must ensure that stolen phones can be promptly, effortlessly, and permanently blocked, rather than being resold on the second-hand market." Johnson further stated, "If we collaborate, the government, technology firms, and law enforcement can disrupt the financial mechanism of phone thieves and moped gangs who benefit from this which is their primary source of income."
The British government encourages consumer responsibility in this matter, urging individuals to keep their devices secure and use the available security features, such as the "find my phone" function. To combat this issue, tech companies are also being urged to make it easier for consumers to report and block stolen devices, reducing the market for second-hand stolen phones.
