Over 99% of thefts do not end in a charge – even when victims track stolen phone, shocking stats reveal
MORE than 99 per cent of thefts from a person do not end in a charge — even when victims track a stolen phone.
Two in three of the 50,000 reported to cops across the country last year from April to December were dropped with no suspect identified.
Of the rest, no further action was taken against a culprit or the case is awaiting an outcome, Home Office figures reveal.
Meanwhile, the charge rate for thefts fell from 11.4 per cent in 2015 to just 4.3 per cent last year, analysis by Labour shows.
Separate figures reveal that 90,864 mobile phones, some worth £1,000 and more, were pinched in London last year — one every six minutes.
In some cases, a phone’s whereabouts was apparent from its inbuilt GPS tracking feature, such as Find My iPhone.
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Labour last night urged the Government to do more to bring down crime levels.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “People should be able to use their phones without fear of them being snatched away.
“But like so many crimes, the Conservatives have sat back while charges have collapsed and criminals let off.
“They have been asleep at the wheel.”
