The Public Deserves Better - Met Phone Theft Lead
The Metropolitan Police's newly appointed lead on phone theft says its work in tackling the crime has not been "good enough".
Just 1% of phone thefts in London result in a charge or conviction, according to the force's data, compared with 11% for robberies.
New Strategy Focus
Appointed two months ago to focus on phone theft at the Met, Commander Andy Featherstone said the force's revised strategy, which involves targeting organized crime, was making a difference.
"The issue of phone thefts had been an outlier for the Met. But the bottom line is that isn't good enough. The public deserve better."
Serious Crime Directorate Involved
"Our serious crime directorate has been involved in these operations, which they wouldn't normally be. They would normally be involved in firearms offences, drug importation, et cetera."
The involvement signals how "seriously" phone theft is now being taken.
Victim Impact: Christian D'ippolito's Story
Christian D'ippolito was in Hackney when he had his phone stolen by a group of four men while it was unlocked.
"I couldn't believe it. You see, never in a million years did I expect this to happen to me," said Mr D'ippolito, founder of the Spartan Project charity.
His digital wallet, PayPal account and business banking details were compromised. The thieves even tried to take out loans in his name.
He lost tens of thousands of pounds.
"The general public tends to view phone theft as the loss of a valuable piece of hardware, whereas the criminal mind would take that for granted and view what lies beyond the value of the phone as the real opportunity."
Rising Numbers
According to Met Police figures, 117,211 phones were stolen during 2024, up 25% on the 2019 figure of 91,481.
Political Response
London Assembly member Neil Garratt compared phone theft to an "epidemic" in the city.
"I challenged the mayor to show leadership last year, but he refused. So I produced a report showing how to tackle phone theft without breaking the bank."
Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan's spokesperson responded:
"Nothing is more important to the mayor than keeping Londoners safe. Last month the mayor backed the biggest-ever Met campaign to tackle mobile phone crime, successfully disrupting an international major criminal network linked to 40% of all phones stolen in London."
What You Can Do
Prevention is key:
- Avoid using your phone while walking in hotspot areas
- Use keypad locks or biometrics
- Set up a SIM PIN
- Know your IMEI number
🛡️ Check your security: Take our interactive security checkup to identify gaps in your phone's protection.
Source: BBC News, 20 October 2025