Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley claims phone theft has 'turned a corner' in major clampdown

These results follow a period where phone theft had dramatically increased, with a 150 per cent spike in snatch thefts reported across England and Wales in the year prior to September 2024.

Speaking to GB News, Sir Mark said: "Phone theft is a really important issue for us in London, isn't it? What it means to people is enormous.

"We had a case recently where we managed to recover a phone shortly after it was stolen.

"It belongs to a doctor, and he was really worried about his ability to be on call and serve his patients without his phone. And that's just a very powerful example.

"We've turned the corner in the last year. Since April last year, this financial year, phone theft is now down by 15 per cent. We're doing that through two things.

"We're arresting the people off the street, the people doing the thieving.

"But also, there's international organised crime exporting phones across the world, particularly to China, and we're intercepting those gangs and putting them in prison for organised crime offences.

"We're also asking the phone companies to do more to improve the security so that your stolen phone can't be recycled and used again as new because that's really important.

"We all need to be sort of sensible in terms of our own physical precautions, but I'm asking people to go out on the streets of London feeling safe."

Thieves on the street can make between £300 and £500 for each device taken from a member of the public.

Mr Rowley appeared on Britain's News Channel to discuss the latest data, which shows the lowest figure in a decade for murders in London.

London has achieved its safest year in more than a decade, with the Metropolitan Police recording just 97 homicides in 2025.

This figure marks an 11 per cent reduction compared to the 109 killings documented in 2024, representing the capital's lowest annual total since 2014, when 95 deaths were recorded.

Mr Rowley described the achievement as the product of "relentless work" by officers across the force.

"The results speak for themselves: fewer lives lost, fewer families shattered," Sir Mark said.

The Commissioner emphasised the Met's focus on pursuing those who pose the greatest threat to communities.

"That's why we're targeting the most dangerous men, repeat offenders in domestic violence or stalking cases, and throwing everything we have at protecting women and children," he explained.

He added: "Nobody should be overly concerned about walking the streets of London. London is a safe city."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter