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Over the last five years, the number of reported mobile phone thefts to the police has nearly doubled, according to data obtained by The Independent, which also identifies crime hotspots in the UK.
In addition to urging tech companies to strengthen device security, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that organized crime was the primary cause of the rise in thefts and promised further police powers to combat the trend.
Through freedom of information requests, 29 of the UK's 45 police forces have released new statistics on the number of offences, revealing the actual scope of mobile phone thefts throughout the country.
They demonstrate that over three-quarters of the occurrences happened in London. The largest percentage increase (167%) in mobile phone thefts from five years ago was also observed in the capital city, which is home to nine million people.
The Met reported 64,224 mobile phone thefts in the 12 months that ended in July of last year, compared to 24,082 five years prior. Five years ago, the City of London saw 496, but now it saw 1,314.
Because various data collection methods were used for each force, the figures shouldn't be directly compared. Additionally, the dates that the forces used varied slightly; some provided data for 366 days.
However, the figures show hotspots outside London, including in Kent, where police recorded 1,722 mobile phones thefts last year.
South Yorkshire Police saw 1,577 mobile phone thefts, while Lancashire Police and Essex Police recorded 1,467 and 1,383 respectively.
Police forces with rural areas appeared to record far fewer incidents. Suffolk Police saw 337, Lincolnshire 402 and Gloucestershire just 34.
The freedom of information requests also showed the number of robberies, such as muggings, involving a mobile phone recorded by each police force.
Last year, the Met Police recorded the greatest number at 12,402, up from 11,865 five years earlier. Kent recorded 252 and South Yorkshire 372.
Ms. Cooper, who hosted a conference advocating for enhanced phone security and promising police more authority to address the problem, stated: "Mobil phone thefts have increased over the past several years, frequently due to organized crime, making our streets seem less secure. That needs to be altered.
