Met using e-bikes and drones to catch phone thieves
Summary
The Metropolitan Police in London is using e-bikes, drones, and facial recognition to catch phone thieves. Despite a decrease in thefts by 12% from last year, stolen phones remain a problem, with only a small fraction recovered. The police are adding more e-bikes and conducting operations to target both thieves and organized crime networks linked to phone theft.Key Facts
- E-bikes and drones are new tools used by the Metropolitan Police in London to catch phone thieves.
- A phone is stolen in London every 7-8 minutes.
- Between 2017 and February 2024, only about 14,000 out of nearly 587,500 stolen phones were recovered.
- In 2023, phone thefts in London dropped to 71,391, a 12% decrease from the previous year.
- Drones provide live footage to help officers spot thieves on e-bikes.
- The police plan to add 20 more e-bikes to their current fleet.
- Specialized operations in January and February led to 32 arrests and the recovery of over 1,000 phones.
- London mayor has announced a £4.5 million investment to tackle phone theft.
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