Mobile phone companies have role in ‘helping crush’ device theft, Met chief says

Mobile phone companies must have a role in “helping to crush” robberies of devices amid an increase over the past year, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said.

There has been a 28% rise in mobile phone robbery in London and a 22% increase in theft of devices over the last 12 months, figures from the force show.

This represents a total of 57,174 mobile phones reported stolen and equates to an average of 157 devices stolen every day in the capital.

Met chief Sir Mark Rowley, during a meeting with major UK mobile phone network providers and London Mayor Sadiq Khan at City Hall on Tuesday, said: “We all have a role in helping to crush the criminal market that fuels robbery and design out the ability for stolen phones to be used in the way they currently are.”

The meeting was about how the police, City Hall and the mobile phone industry can work together to reduce device robberies.

Mr Khan said: “We’re sure there are things that phone companies can be doing and we’re going to work with them in a collegial way about what sharing there can be between police, City Hall and these companies from intelligence, from engineering innovation and other things as well.”

Apple, Samsung and Google were among the big names represented at the meeting, which Mr Khan said was a step towards making London “safer for everyone”.

The mayor went on: “This meeting is an important milestone to developing a practical and long-term solution to ending the menace of mobile phone crime, which we know is driving violence and criminality in our communities – not just in London but across the UK.

“Right now, it is far too easy and profitable for criminals to repurpose and sell on stolen phones.”

He added: “But until we design out the ability for phones to be used in the way they currently are, we will be stuck in a vicious circle.”

Hamish MacLeod, chief executive of Mobile UK, said: “Mobile operators and the device and operating system manufacturers have several capabilities and measures to deter the theft of mobile phones, including the provision of capabilities which customers can enable, allowing them to track and disable mobile handsets.

“We welcome today’s roundtable to discuss with the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police further actions, including prioritising mobile theft and prosecutions to deter and reduce these crimes.”