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People “under no circumstances” should take justice into their own hands and go in search of a stolen mobile phone, according to the Garda Sergeant charged with highlighting the prevalence of phone theft.
Meath Division crime prevention officer Sergeant Dean Kerins highlighted the danger of defying criminals when figures revealing phone thefts on a scale across the country were released.
Recent data from the Garda Síochána Analysis Service showed that 11,488 mobile phones, valued at around 5 million euros, have been reported stolen since the beginning of 2019. Of these, only 1,176 have been recovered.
A quarter of the robberies (2,868) occurred in one Dublin district: Dublin South Central, while 16% (1,869) occurred in Dublin North Central, while the other four Dublin metropolitan areas accounted for 23% of the thefts. In Limerick, 426 phones were stolen, Kildare 398, Cork City 368 and Galway 324.
Sergeant Kerins also said that people should keep their guard up and ensure that basic phone security functions are enabled to keep financial and personal data safe.
While he urged mobile phone users to download a phone location app to help combat criminal activity, he said he “couldn’t stress enough that people shouldn’t go looking for a stolen mobile. The reality is that people can never know the danger behind a door they knock on ”.
He said that people who can use a “find my phone” app to track their stolen device to a particular location should report it to a local garda station. “We will take the details and follow up. It may be necessary to get a search warrant, but that is what will be done, ”she said.
Sergeant Kerins said that while the majority of thefts have occurred in busy urban settings, no county is immune to the problem.
He said thieves were “opportunistic and always on the lookout” and noted that phones left on bar counters or in cars were particularly vulnerable, while criminals were also more than capable of snatching a phone from the street. someone’s hand.
“It doesn’t matter if they can get 20 or 200 euros for a phone, they will take what they can,” he said.
He said there were a large number of channels through which phones could be sold, making them even more attractive to criminals.
In addition to downloading a reliable location finder app, people needed to make sure that phones were always pin-protected and backed up. “The reality is that we all have our lives on our cell phones and while the device itself may only cost € 100, it can have thousands of photos, our entire social media account, and our financial information.”
He said family members or friends should be added as emergency contacts on people’s phone. “If we receive a lost or stolen phone, we can contact that person. Our property stores across the country receive a large number of lost and stolen phones that we cannot trace the owners of. Adding the emergency contact will help resolve this issue. “
The most common place for phone theft is in public or at a licensed premises.
Sergeant Kerins said that people should be careful with their surroundings and take care of their property.
Among the other recommended security measures are:
· Plan your night out, how are you going to get there and how are you going to return?
· Avoid walking alone in dark places.
· Keep your phone out of the public eye.
· Do not leave your phone on display in a vehicle.
· Dial * # 06 # and save a screenshot of your IMEI number. Email the image to yourself.
· Keep your phone locked and enable as many security features as you can.
· Download or activate a reliable phone search application.
· Add a family member or friend as an emergency contact on your phone.
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