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New York, NY - NYPD: Cell Phone Robberies on Subways on the Rise |
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News Source: WNYC
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file photoNew York, NY - Stand clear of the closing doors—especially if you have a fancy new cell phone on the subway.
The NYPD reports that thefts of expensive cell phones have increased sharply over the past three months. NYPD Transit Bureau Assistant Chief James Hall says passengers who are holding their electronic gadgets out in the open, while standing next to a door, make an easy target.
Hall said, The bad guy waits until the train pulls into the station and that’s the person that they mark. When that door open up, the snatch or grab is made of the phone right onto the platform, he said.
“In the last four months, I’ve actually put police officers on trains with some bullhorns doing safety lectures, which we’re going to continue to do,” Hall said at an MTA committee meeting.
Hall specifically cited the T-Mobile Sidekick model as a sought-after device. The model has a camera, music player and e-mail capabilities - and retails for about $300.
NYPD statistics show that robberies went up by more than 50 percent in December, compared to the previous year. Hall said.
There were 111 robberies - theft using force - in December, a 59% increase over December 2007, when there were 70 robberies, according to new NYPD data. Between January and December last year, robberies increased 3.4% to 823 when compared with all of 2007.
However, that on New Year’s Eve, officers arrested two men who were responsible for a string of 13 robberies, most of which took place on the G line late at night.
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Read Comments (4) — Post Yours »
1
Jan 27, 2009 at 08:29 AM Anonymous Says:
What does a robber do with a stolen phone? They have serial numbers. Once reported stolen they can't be activated. And they have GPS in them.
2
Jan 27, 2009 at 08:17 AM Anonymous Says:
I don't know too much but providers like verizon and Sprint do not have a SIM card, you need to register the phone's ID number with them to get service. I would bet that they have no resale potential and less crime.
3
Jan 27, 2009 at 08:15 AM kalmy Says:
Hey hey what happened over here???
Bloomberg had a statistic that crime is down just recently.
4
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:31 AM The Truth Says:
Phones can be easily reprogrammed to have a new identity.