As the market for used electronics grows in the UK, it has been discovered that more than 200 iPhones are stolen there each day.
Between March 2023 and March 2024, almost 78,000 people in Britain had their phones or luggage stolen.
Based on statistics from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, there was a 150% increase in “snatch thefts” compared to the 31,000 incidents that occurred in the preceding year.
Additionally, statistics reveal that only 0.8% of accusations of “theft from the person” resulted in a charge, and that four out of every five police investigations were closed before a suspect was ever located
The Home Office has stated that it will collaborate more closely with internet companies and police chiefs as part of the UK government’s commitment to toughening up on crime.
Dame Diana Johnson, the minister of police, stated:
‘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, the 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.’.
