Residents are increasingly opting not use their phones in public for fear of it being stolen, as the Met reveals there were 781 snatchings in Walthamstow between June 2023 and May 2024, reports Marco Marcelline
Concern has been expressed at the spate of phone snatching in the borough, with residents opting to not use their phones in public for fear of it being stolen.
Phone snatching across the capital has become a significant issue this year, with much of the crime driven by organised groups using mopeds and e-bikes to target distracted pedestrians who are openly holding their phones.
The worst affected areas in London include Westminster, Soho, Camden and Islington, though Walthamstow has become a notable hotspot in Waltham Forest.
According to Metropolitan Police statistics shared by Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy, there were a total of 139 and 642 reported phone thefts (no force) and robberies (force or threat of force) in Walthamstow between June 2023 and May this year. A third of those incidents took place on Walthamstow High Street, the Met added. The real figure is believed to be much higher due to under-reporting.
Reports of widespread phone snatching in the borough first emerged late last year. Following an initial wave of concern in December, Waltham Forest Council installed a new CCTV camera on Coppermill Lane and said it was sharing CCTV with local police officers.
However, just 52% of mobile phone thefts were “screened in for further investigation” by the Met last year.
Some recent high-profile incidents involved organised gangs and individuals, such as Sonny Stringer, who was responsible for stealing 24 phones in a single morning. Many phone snatchers are young people who are part of gangs. Some victims have been physically assaulted by masked assailants during the snatching attempts.
The robbers typically wear balaclavas and hoodies to conceal their identities, making it harder for police to identify and find them.
The stolen phones are often quickly sold for cash, sometimes exported overseas, or used to access sensitive data for fraud. Despite increased efforts by the Metropolitan Police, including by specialised plain-clothed undercover officers patrolling phone snatching hotspots, the rate of solving these crimes remains low. Nearly 70% of all thefts in London last year related to mobile phones with more than 9,500 offences in the capital involving a phone being stolen.
The few robbers who have been charged and sentenced include Kaidi Nasser, 25, who was spotted by two plain-clothed cops in Soho stealing a phone out of an unassuming victim’s backpocket.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on 8th July where he pleaded guilty to theft and was given 30 weeks imprisonment.
Detective Superintendent Saj Hussain, who leads on phone robbery and theft in the Met, said: “Robbery and theft are invasive and often violent crimes. Met officers are targeting resources to hotspot areas with increased patrols and plain clothes officers. These deter criminals and make officers more visibly available to members of the community.
“We encourage people to report as soon as they can whenever they have been a victim of robbery or theft, so officers can attend the scene and investigate swiftly.”
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