Advice has been published on Police.uk with the support of phone manufacturers Apple, Blackberry, LG, Samsung, Sony, Nokia and Windows Phones. The service encourages the public to make more use of their phone’s security features, such as tracking, wiping data from or locking stolen handsets remotely using another internet-enabled device. The service also provides links to information on each manufacturer’s security features, including how to switch them on.
There are also tips on avoiding mobile phone theft in the first place, such as taking extra care to keep handsets secure in busy locations and never leaving a mobile phone unattended. According to the Home Office in 2012/13 there were 742,000 victims of mobile phone theft in England and Wales. Sixteen to 24-year-olds are the most likely age group to be the target of ‘theft from the person’ offences.
Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker has held meetings with leaders in the mobile phone manufacturing industry to discuss what more can be done to tackle mobile phone theft.
Norman Baker said: “Crime is down more than 10 per cent but theft from the person has gone up, bucking the overall trend. It is clear much of this is generated by the theft of mobile phones, iPads and the like. I have challenged the industry to do more to make such thefts unattractive, for example by making it easier to immobilise stolen devices and I am pleased to see that we are now making progress. One part of this is the online advice service which is a vital new tool that will help people protect their handsets and make would-be thieves think twice. Mobile phone technology is changing all the time and we need innovative solutions to ensure we get ahead of criminals.”
