Government to crack down on phone and bag ‘snatch thefts’ after cases soar by more than 150%

The Government has pledged to crack down on ‘snatch thefts’ after cases soared by more than 150% in the last year.

The announcement comes after a recent Home Office analysis revealed that an estimated 78,000 people had items such as their phones or bags grabbed from them on the streets over the last 12 months – with the Government saying policing intelligence suggests this is being driven by “increased demand” for second-hand smartphones, both in the UK and overseas.

Crime Survey data indicates the equivalent of more than 200 so-called ‘snatch thefts’ took place every day on streets across England and Wales, which is the highest rate in more than a decade.

More than one third (36%) of these offences involved theft of a mobile phone.

To tackle this challenge head on, tech companies and manufacturers will be called to attend a Home Office summit on the issue.

The summit will look at the new innovations that could take on the illegal market, and will aim to build on anti-theft smartphone features that some tech firms are said to have already rolled-out to protect their customers.

On top of this, the Government will also be tasking police chiefs to tackle this scourge in neighbourhood theft.

Local police will also continue to surge police patrols in areas that are considered to be most at-risk of serious violence, with the Government intending to work with forces across the country to ensure that there is visible police presence in these hotspot areas to help “deter criminals” and “protect our communities”.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson called the latest theft figures “troubling”.

“With new phones coming to market and young people going back to school and university, many of us will have a new phone in our hands at this time of year,” she explained. “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.

“As part of our Safer Streets mission, 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.

“We are working to get thousands more uniformed officers into our communities to restore neighbourhood policing.”

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Dame Johnson added that the Government, tech companies, and law enforcement can “break the business model of the phone thieves who rely on this trade” if they all work together.

Featured Image – PickPik