City of London police have scattered a set of ‘blue plaques’ around the Square Mile to highlight spots where phones have been snatched from members of the public. Using the classic design of the recognisable London markers, areas where phone theft has taken place have been highlighted with spray paint, warning people in the area to look up from their devices.
Plauqes read ‘A member of the public had their phone stolen here. Look up, look out’, with the symbol of the City of London police on the pavement signs. Yesterday (April 2), a ‘phone marking’ stall was also run beside one of the fake blue plaques outside Liverpool Street station to further raise awareness.
In a press release, City of London Police noted that the initiative was part of a new three-year Policing Plan to tackle crime in the area. According to new figures, around £7,000 a day is defrauded from the public having their phones taken from them, with Action Fraud also noting this type of fraud is becoming more common, with phones of victims having their banking applications accessed.
Speaking on the news, Commissioner Pete O’Doherty said: “We are committed to going the extra mile to ensure the safety and security of all those who live, work and visit the City. We’re an extraordinary police force serving the historic City of London and being the national lead force for fraud, working with police forces nationally, as well as banks and technology companies to reduce the money stolen fraudulently following phone thefts.
“Our new three-year policing plan details our determination to reduce the harm caused by high-volume crimes like phone snatching. Our prevention measures run alongside our specialist units who catch prolific criminals and our investigation teams bring them to justice. By marking phones, raising awareness in at-risk areas, and targeting those who enable crime, we are taking a proactive approach to protect our city.”
