Stop releasing phone thieves who reoffend, Met police chief urges courts
The head of Britain’s largest police force has called on courts to stop granting bail for repeat phone thieves, arguing such decisions allow them to continue their criminal activities.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also called on phone manufacturers and telecommunications companies to introduce measures that will make it harder for criminals to reset and resell stolen devices.
His comments echo police figures showing phone thefts recorded in London rose from 81,365 in 2024 to 71,391 last year.
Separate data available on the Met’s crime website further details 52,820 thefts from the person the phone was stolen from in 2023, as well as 14,326 robberies.
In 2024, these figures were 70,249 thefts and 11,125 robberies, and in 2025, 61,292 thefts and 10,207 robberies.
In a recent crackdown, the Met arrested 248 people in connection with phone theft last month and seized around 770 stolen mobile phones.
Police seized 1,000 mobile phones and 200 laptops that were planned to be smuggled abroad.
Sir Mark said: “Over the last year we have arrested hundreds of people and recovered tens of thousands of stolen devices.
“This work means 10,000 fewer people facing the stress, cost and disruption of having their phones stolen.
“This work is what makes London an even safer city.
“But police alone cannot solve this problem.
“Manufacturers and tech companies must do more to stop criminals from resetting, reusing or reselling stolen phones.
“We also need the courts to play their part by preventing repeat offenders from being granted bail only to go out and reoffend, undermining the hard work officers do to keep communities safe.”
Figures released under Freedom of Information legislation show that a total of 587,498 phones were stolen in London, excluding the City, between 2017 and 27 February 2024, of which 13,998 were seized and 573,500 were not found.
The Metropolitan Police said it was using drones, e-bikes and live facial recognition to help catch phone thieves.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has proposed £4.5 million in funding to tackle phone theft, including the creation of a command cell to respond to burglaries and robberies in the West End.
Sir Sadiq said: “Too many Londoners have fallen victim to phone theft.
“Our new intensive action puts us at the forefront as we tackle phone thieves and dismantle the gangs behind the scourge of burglaries in London.”
He continued: “New drones are supporting officers to collect evidence and improve intelligence gathering, and new e-bikes are helping officers outmaneuver and outmaneuver criminals who use bicycles or electric motorcycles and scooters to steal phones or evade police.
“But we know we still have a lot of work to do.
“That’s why as Mayor I will continue to prioritize neighborhood policing and push the mobile industry to go above and beyond to prevent stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed, building a safer London for everyone.”
