14 DAY TRIAL // In 2013, the number of smartphone thefts reported in major US cities increased compared to the previous year, figures from a police report show. Police and the mobile industry have been trying to reduce the number of thefts, but their efforts haven’t paid off so far.
According to The Huffington Post, almost 2,400 mobile phones were stolen last year in San Francisco. This represents a 23% increase compared to 2012. Unsurprisingly, over half of the devices were iPhones.
The city’s representatives have told the publication that they’ve been “aggressively trying to educate the public” regarding smartphone thefts. They believe the increase is caused by the launch of new iPhones in September 2013.
iPhone and iPad thefts also increased in New York City (by 8%). A total of 8,465 Apple gadgets were stolen. In Philadelphia, almost 500 phones were stolen on public transport platforms, which represents a 6% increase compared to the previous year.
A 6% increase has also been recorded in Washington, D.C., while in Denver the number of thefts rose by 22%.
Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung have been working on systems that would prevent thieves from using stolen devices. However, it remains to be seen if they’re effective.
Wireless carriers can block stolen devices, but the crooks can still sell them overseas, where in many cases, smartphones cost a lot more than in the US.
As far as law enforcement efforts are concerned, in New York and San Francisco, they’ve set up sting operations in which undercover officers pretended to be selling stolen devices. Those who showed interest in buying the smartphones were arrested.
Authorities in these two cities have also launched an initiative called Secure Our Smartphones.