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Met Police Pushes for Tougher Action on Phone Thieves

2/17/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, called for courts to deny bail to repeat phone thieves.
He urged manufacturers to prevent stolen devices from being reset and resold.
London logged 71,391 phone thefts last year.
Gangs are recruiting children to steal smartphones via Snapchat.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, proposed £4.5 million to boost police efforts, including drones and e-bikes.

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Story summary

Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, called for courts to deny bail to repeat phone thieves.
He urged manufacturers to prevent stolen devices from being reset and resold.
London logged 71,391 phone thefts last year.
Gangs are recruiting children to steal smartphones via Snapchat.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, proposed £4.5 million to boost police efforts, including drones and e-bikes.