Government Crack Down on Phone Thieves After 150 Percent Spike in Cases

Government ministers have announced plans to crack down on criminals who steal mobile phones after a surge in thefts of more than 150 percent in the last year. Policing data has revealed that an estimated 78,000 people had phones or bags grabbed from them on the streets. The rise in phone thefts is driven by an increase demand for second hand devices, both in the UK and abroad, the police found. In the past 12 months, officials have recorded the highest rate of phone theft in more than a decade, with an equivalent of more than 200 snatch thefts happening every day. Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson called the figures “troubling” and said that the government was ready to “do whatever’s necessary” to protect people’s safety....