Members of the London Assembly have discussed whether drone technology could help the Met Police tackle the surge in mobile phone thefts across the capital.
Justice Minister Sarah Sackman said people want the police to focus on “the crimes that hit them hard in their communities – violent crime, phone snatching, mugging, antisocial behaviour” and welcomed the Met’s renewed attention on those areas.
Former Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett said crises and protests are “blowing the operational side off course”, adding: “when there is a crisis, cost and budget are forgotten, you go out and deal with it, but if this keeps happening, we get halfway through the year and we have a problem.”
At this morning’s Budget and Performance Committee meeting, Assembly Members highlighted drones as a potential way to improve response times, monitor suspects and ease pressure on police resources.
Ian Wiggett said, “drones could track offenders more effectively than officers on foot or in vehicles.”
He added: “they could be used alongside AI to monitor crowds and identify patterns of criminal behaviour.”
The Met has already deployed drones at events such as Notting Hill Carnival to assess safety risks. Mr Wiggett said the same technology could help identify where and when phones are stolen and how stolen devices are moved.
Conservative London Assembly leader Susan Hall said: “I’m a massive supporter of drones and they will assist in many aspects of police work, not least chasing down gangs associated with phone theft.”
Source: PA Media
The discussion follows comments made on Monday by Neil Garratt, who represents Croydon and Sutton on the London Assembly, who described phone thefts in London as an “epidemic” and urged the Met to do more.
Just over 1% of phone thefts in London result in a charge or conviction, compared with 11% for robberies, according to Met data. In 2024, 117,211 phones were reported stolen, a 25% rise since 2019.
Earlier this month, the Met made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in the UK’s largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts. Officers believe those arrested were linked to around 40% of all thefts in the capital.
City Hall said the Met is continuing to explore new experimental technology and specialist resources to strengthen public safety and tackle rising phone crime.
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HeadlineCould Drones Chase London Phone Snatchers?
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StandfirstLondon Assembly consider the use of drones as a solution for phone theft.
Members of the London Assembly have discussed whether drone technology could help the Met Police tackle the surge in mobile phone thefts across the capital.
Justice Minister Sarah Sackman said people want the police to focus on “the crimes that hit them hard in their communities – violent crime, phone snatching, mugging, antisocial behaviour” and welcomed the Met’s renewed attention on those areas.
Former Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett said crises and protests are “blowing the operational side off course”, adding: “when there is a crisis, cost and budget are forgotten, you go out and deal with it, but if this keeps happening, we get halfway through the year and we have a problem.”
At this morning’s Budget and Performance Committee meeting, Assembly Members highlighted drones as a potential way to improve response times, monitor suspects and ease pressure on police resources.
Ian Wiggett said, “drones could track offenders more effectively than officers on foot or in vehicles.”
He added: “they could be used alongside AI to monitor crowds and identify patterns of criminal behaviour.”
The Met has already deployed drones at events such as Notting Hill Carnival to assess safety risks. Mr Wiggett said the same technology could help identify where and when phones are stolen and how stolen devices are moved.
Conservative London Assembly leader Susan Hall said: “I’m a massive supporter of drones and they will assist in many aspects of police work, not least chasing down gangs associated with phone theft.”
Source: PA Media
The discussion follows comments made on Monday by Neil Garratt, who represents Croydon and Sutton on the London Assembly, who described phone thefts in London as an “epidemic” and urged the Met to do more.
Just over 1% of phone thefts in London result in a charge or conviction, compared with 11% for robberies, according to Met data. In 2024, 117,211 phones were reported stolen, a 25% rise since 2019.
Earlier this month, the Met made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in the UK’s largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts. Officers believe those arrested were linked to around 40% of all thefts in the capital.
City Hall said the Met is continuing to explore new experimental technology and specialist resources to strengthen public safety and tackle rising phone crime.
