78,000 phones were stolen in a year – I’m determined to stop these thieves

I was astatine a league successful Westminster erstwhile I had my container stolen, which contained my mobile phone.

This was astir 10 years agone truthful exertion wasn’t arsenic precocious arsenic it is today, but I managed to way it utilizing an app. That’s erstwhile I noticed that my telephone was progressing dilatory implicit Waterloo Bridge, truthful I figured they were connected foot. 

I called the police, but they were not funny arsenic they said the GPS was not reliable. I refused to judge that, truthful I asked if anyone had a car astatine the league and a antheral volunteered.

We acceptable disconnected with idiosyncratic other connected the machine backmost astatine the conference. Remarkably, we located 2 guys walking dilatory down the roadworthy and confirmed the determination with the idiosyncratic astatine the conference.

I called the section MP astatine the time, Kate Hoey, and informed her that I was astir to apprehend the thieves due to the fact that the constabulary were not interested. I besides called 999 to pass them of my actions.

Sure enough, the constabulary turned up and, erstwhile they jumped retired of the constabulary van, truthful did I. That’s erstwhile I located my bag, telephone and Oyster paper – and I was truthful relieved. The thieves really had astir 20 oregon truthful phones connected them.

I would person thought that a decennary aboriginal things would person improved, but the emergence successful mobile telephone thefts crossed Britain has reached alarming levels.

I was shocked to work that successful the twelvemonth starring up to March 2024, implicit 78,000 mobile phones oregon bags were stolen crossed England and Wales, representing a staggering 153% summation from the erstwhile year.

The concern is dire successful London, wherever mobile phones relationship for up to 70% of each thefts. An estimated 64,000 devices were stolen successful 2023 successful London alone.

Where I work successful Westminster, a telephone is stolen each 4 minutes – this is the biggest hotspot for telephone thefts successful London.

So I raised this contented and told my communicative successful Parliament. As a result, I person adjacent had MPs interaction maine and inquire if I tin delight assistance find their stolen phone!

On a superior note, the interaction of this horrible transgression goes beyond the specified nonaccomplishment of a instrumentality — phones present clasp everything from idiosyncratic contacts and backstage data, to banking apps and enactment information. I’ve heard heartbreaking stories of radical losing meaningful photos and videos with it and being incapable to retrieve them via the cloud.

Having a telephone stolen tin beryllium devastating and incredibly inconvenient. Sadly, it tin besides beryllium violent. I cognize galore readers volition cognize what it feels similar to clutch your telephone other choky portion walking down the street, adjacent successful the daytime.

Although determination is vexation successful the public, we cognize that constabulary forces effort their champion to way down criminals.

But 4 successful 5 constabulary investigations are closed earlier a fishy is adjacent recovered and conscionable 0.8% of ‘theft from the person’ complaints resulted successful a charge. I americium appalled by the deficiency of results erstwhile it comes to investigating these crimes, having experienced the constabulary reluctance years agone erstwhile I reported the men who stole my bag. 

I precocious hosted – on with a Conservative MP – a gathering successful Parliament with the Met Police, to perceive astir the police’s efforts to tackle these crimes. Officers told america they can’t header with the measurement of thefts alone.

They person undercover constabulary walking the streets, but that’s not enough. Unfortunately, constabulary are constricted due to the fact that they are bladed connected the crushed aft 14 years of Conservative cuts.

But present that Labour is successful Government, we are taking action. 

Following Rachel Reeves’ Budget, the 2025-26 constabulary unit colony volition magnitude to £17.4bn – an summation of up to £986.9m connected the existent year. But the Met is inactive successful the midst of a staffing situation – and it proves that it was precise short-sighted to person specified melodramatic cuts successful the police.

I judge the reply to lick this occupation lies successful the hands of tech companies and manufacturers, who could innovate and plan their products successful a mode that makes them not truthful easy exploited by criminals.

The Met Police is calling connected Apple and Google to artifact devices reported by users to them arsenic mislaid oregon stolen from re-connecting internationally to their unreality services, preventing re-use anyplace successful the satellite and truthful deter thieves. 

It besides wants manufacturers to marque the IMEI fig of a instrumentality disposable erstwhile the instrumentality is locked to marque it easier to place stolen devices and instrumentality them to their owners.

This is important due to the fact that connected a caller walkabout with the constabulary successful my constituency of Brent, determination was 1 peculiar store that was a hotbed for stolen phones. The constabulary had the store closed down for a period.

If the constabulary could spot the IMEI fig erstwhile the telephone is locked, they could cheque whether a telephone is stolen. We request to chopped the proviso and request – if shops can’t merchantability stolen phones, thieves won’t bargain them.

I recognise that immoderate improvements person been made, specified arsenic introducing improved tracking and disabling features for radical who suffer their phones. But it has not prevented the worrying emergence successful thefts.

Tracking your stolen telephone overseas, wherever astir extremity up, doesn’t truly help. At present, it is shockingly elemental for criminals to hitch and re-register stolen devices. 

So I privation telephone companies to attraction astir their customers. Currently, it seems to maine similar it is their concern exemplary not to attraction due to the fact that they cognize radical volition beryllium forced to bargain different one, oregon security companies volition wage out. 

I americium definite it is successful their semipermanent involvement – not conscionable for user confidence, but erstwhile phones are stolen and resold connected the achromatic market, they tin suffer retired excessively erstwhile their merchandise is devalued oregon their information systems are seen arsenic vulnerable. 

That’s wherefore we request a large propulsion from the mobile telephone manufacture to enactment straight with our constabulary services to curb these crimes. 

Have you had a telephone stolen? Have your accidental successful the comments belowComment Now

It is my beardown presumption that companies should enactment voluntarily with the constabulary towards this captious aim. However, if they are unwilling to enactment voluntarily and instrumentality accountability for the extortion of their products, past the Government should intervene to fortify authorities successful this country to mandate action.

I americium penning to the Home Secretary to inquire the Government to usage its powers to bring the constabulary and telephone companies unneurotic towards this captious aim.

Legislation should see clearer rules connected however stolen devices tin beryllium tracked, and stronger sentences and fines for those who prosecute successful telephone theft and reselling stolen goods. 

I person already begun moving towards a cross-party statement connected this precise issue, truthful we tin research existing authorities and innovative solutions to code the problem. 

This contented deserves superior attraction and it cannot hold immoderate longer. 

Ultimately, tackling the situation of telephone theft requires a corporate effort. We each person a relation to play – the government, MPs, telephone companies, the police, and consumers indispensable each travel unneurotic to tackle this rising crisis. The nationalist demands action.

It’s clip to enactment radical earlier nett and code the increasing epidemic of mobile telephone theft. Only past volition we statesman to spot a meaningful simplification successful transgression and springiness the nationalist a consciousness of information that everyone genuinely deserves.

Do you person a communicative you’d similar to share? Get successful interaction by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views successful the comments below.

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