Police in three boroughs are trialling different ways of raising awareness about thieves on mopeds and bicycles stealing mobile phones out of people's hands.
Snatch thefts from unwary Londoners bimbling along the road, checking Google Maps, WhatsApp, etc, have been a problem for several years. This is how it often goes down:
Police in Camden, Islington and the City of London are testing three different ways to get the message out: be aware of your surroundings and keep your phone safe. Camden has a cutesy message, with leaflets, tube ads and videos featuring this cartoon cat:
Think about using headphones whilst making a call in the street so your phone stays safely in your pocket. #copcat pic.twitter.com/N2b1jBY3xw
— Camden MPS (@MPSCamden) June 13, 2016
Islington is going with street graffiti:
#loveyourphone & beware of phone snatchers! Don't call or text on busy streets where a thief on a bike could strike! pic.twitter.com/MP0vsLeznH
— Islington MPS (@MPSIslington) June 14, 2016
And the City, being the City, is going with a more traditional awareness campaign:
Checking the #ENGWAL score on your #mobilephone? Be aware of your surroundings this #EURO2016 #RedCardToCrime pic.twitter.com/YKiDSieGJ4
— City Police (@CityPolice) June 16, 2016
At the end of the trial period, the police will look at results and see which, if any, campaign had the most effect.
