Mayor Sets Up Unit In Major Crackdown On Mobile Phone Snatchings In London

 

London : Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Tuesday unveiled plans to invest an additional 4.5 million pounds and set up a new unit as part of a major crackdown on mobile phone thefts and snatchings in the UK capital. The new mobile phone Police Command Cell, to be based in London's West End, is designed to coordinate intelligence and respond to phone snatchings in real time.

 

The new funding is aimed at boosting the Metropolitan Police's package of measures, including enforcement blitzes, proactive targeting of known offenders, the use of drones and new specialist police trained to use e-bikes to pursue phone snatchers.

 

“We’re taking bold action to make the West End and the rest of London a no-go area for phone thieves,” said Khan. “Far too many Londoners have been the victim of phone theft and I’m determined to stamp it out. We have made real progress reducing high volume crime – but I recognise the personal impact of mobile phone theft and how awful it is when someone’s photographs, contacts, messages and personal information is stolen," he said.

The mayor said the proposed bespoke unit will work to smash the phone gangs by “taking out gang bosses as well as robbers and snatchers”.