Londoners, frustrated with rising phone thefts, catch suspect just seconds after a street robbery
A suspected phone snatcher was arrested seconds after a phone was stolen, after members of the public assisted police in apprehending him.
CCTV footage shows two men on electric bikes riding up Ludgate Hill towards St Paul’s.
The video shows the first suspect stealing a phone from a woman.
They were encountered by police officers, the first suspect evaded officers by riding off on the pavement at high speed.
The second suspect, aged 23 from Southwark, turned back in the direction of where the phone was stolen.
Passerby slowed down the suspect, allowing officers, who ran down the road, to apprehend him.
But they were quickly apprehended by members of the public (Picture: The City of London Police)
City of London Police Detective Sergeant Richard Dines said: ‘If you come to the City with the intention of stealing phones, you can expect to be met by officers on proactive patrols who will arrest you and bring you to justice.
‘We’ve recovered a phone from the suspect that we believe may have been stolen. It is a silver iPhone with two distinctive stickers on the back. One sticker is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York dated the 7 October.
‘If it is your phone, or you have any details of who the phone might belong to, please call 020 7601 2222 quoting 616958.’
One suspect has been bailed pending further investigations. Police officers are exploring leads to identify and arrest the suspect.
Phone thefts have risen sharply nationwide for years. Last year in London alone, 52,144 phones were snatched – one stolen every six minutes.
Westminster is a major hotspot for the crime, with 18,859 phones pinched. Camden followed with 4,809 and Southwark saw 4,376 phones stolen.
Many stolen phones wind up in China, with thieves ripping apart the phone to sell for spare parts while flogging people’s data to the highest bidders. Pickpockets may also drain people’s bank accounts or log into their social media.
When Metro joined the Met on patrol in Oxford Street for the day, three people had their phones nabbed.
Police say thieves are increasingly using electric bikes to steal people’s phones (Picture: The City of London Police)
Metro joined police patrolling in central London when several phone thefts happened (Picture: Met Police)
One officer said thieves use modified e-bikes that can reach speeds up to 70mph to zip by and steal phones right out of people’s hands.
Some victims say they find the police response frustrating, given many smartphones have asset tracking services like Find My iPhone.
But police officials say the location alone isn’t enough to justify police banging down the door with a warrant.
Chief Inspector Connelly said: ‘We are building up an intelligence picture which can be presented to the courts.
‘We still want victims to keep giving us their phone’s location on tracking apps so help us even more.’
Technology & Business Editor
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