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news
London cyclists at traffic lights (copyright Britishcycling.org_.uk).jpgCycling phone thieves 'blending in' by wearing hi-vis
Hackney police say that thieves are disguising themselves as cycle commuters so that they can more easily swipe phones from pedestrians’ hands. "Suspects are even known to wear high-visibility clothing in a bid to blend in with their surroundings," commented an officer.
The Hackney Gazette reports that there has been a rise in phone theft in Shoreditch, Hoxton, Bethnal Green and Dalston.
The thieves tend to be teenage boys on bicycles or men on e-bikes, according to Sergeant Vincent Boughton, who leads the Robbery Task Force launched under Operation Trebbiano to tackle street robberies and phone snatches.
"Offences occur mainly during commuting times, around 7am to 9am and from 4pm to 9pm," he said.
"Suspects tend to either be teenage boys on bicycles or males on electric-powered pedal cycles, dressed as 'professional commuters' – i.e. in traditional cycle clothing, with helmets and snoods, face coverings or balaclavas.
"Suspects are even known to wear high-visibility clothing, in a bid to blend in with their surroundings.”
Since the Robbery Task Force was launched in May, the 12 officers have made more than 240 arrests, with 116 for robbery or theft of person.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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9 comments
I don’t even get why phone theft is still a thing in the smartphone era. I mean, they can be remote locked and wiped making them worthless, and they can be tracked by gps. They come with earbuds with a mic so you can keep it in your pocket, and they have voice control. Is there really a demand for stolen phones?
I thought that hi viz clothing helped cyclists *stand out* from their surroundings?
I always think it odd that a camera for £100 comes with a strap in case you drop it and you can get a phone many times more that does not have one. This might work
Question: Would you stand alongside a busy road waving £700 around in a slapdash and willy-nilly fashion?
Answer: "Of course not! I'm not a f*****g idiot!"
Question: So why do you stand alongside a busy road waving a smart phone around in a slapdash and willy-nilly fashion?
Answer: "Uh!"
iPhone 11 handset is £729
Samsung Galaxy S10 range is £669 -£1099
Huawei Mate 20X £1000
When you watch film of phone thefts what do you notice? That's right, the victim is almost begging to be robbed.
This is not victim blaming, this is a plea for a bit of common sense.
it is victim-blaming. The person to blame is the thief. There is no equivocation about it. Furthermore you don't need to 'stand alongside a busy road' - when someone tried, unsucccessfully, to steal my phone they rode their motor bike along a busy pavement at speed.
And 'common sense' is bullshit.
getting phones pinched by 'cyclists' is going to command 10x the police response comparatively to cyclists getting killed, injured or threatened harm.
Surely police response should be to tell peds to not have their phones n their hands all the time and not walk down certain streets and have a protective system in place ... oh wait victim blaming, but then the MET are pretty good at that for people on bikes.
Wot is "theft of person"? Is there an epidemic of kidnapping in East London. Are hipsters targeted disproportionately given that they can be tied up by their manbag straps?
Hi-viz, to look like real cyclists?! I should think that made a few commentards here pop a blood vessel.
Maybe it isn't a disguise but more to not get knocked off by an inattentive driver when getting away with their ill gotten gains.