Stop using your cellphone in public, police warn
“Cellphone robberies are generally a crime of opportunity. Criminals focus on opportunities that cellphone users are giving them when they use their cellphones in public.”
Brooklyn police cautioned cellphone users against becoming moving targets when using them in public.
Several cases were reported by pedestrians who were robbed of their cellphones.
“Increased vigilance is needed from cellphone users to reduce the high number of street robberies,” said police spokesperson Captain Weilbach.
“Cellphone users were also targeted while they were waiting for a taxi they ordered through a cellphone app or while waiting for their food order at a fast food outlet.”
Weilbach said customers to restaurants with outside seating must also be vigilant not to leave their cellphones on the table creating an opportunity for criminals to grab them.
In the majority of the incidents, the suspects jumped into a getaway vehicle after grabbing the cellphones.
“A white and a silver Toyota and a white BMW are often mentioned by the victims. In some incidents the suspects were on foot, pushing their victim to the ground, before taking the cellphone. These crimes regularly occurred during broad daylight in busy streets,” she said.
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“Listening to music, texting, talking or otherwise absorbed in your phone can make you a prime target for criminals.”
Weilbach said many cellphones get stolen at liquor outlets or lost due to negligence.
She said the use of alcohol impairs judgement and robbers see anybody under the influence of alcohol as an easy target.
“Cellphone robberies are generally a crime of opportunity. Criminals focus on opportunities that cellphone users give them when they use their cellphones in public.”
Over the weekend the Brooklyn Community Police Forum (CPF) and community patrollers assisted with the arrest of a cellphone thief.
On Friday evening community patrollers were operating near liquor outlets in Ox Street in Menlo Park when they saw a suspicious man running away.
“They managed to catch up with him and saw how he threw a cellphone away in nearby bushes,” Weilbach said.
“The man was apprehended and the cellphone was found.”
Weilbach said patrollers suspected that the cellphone was stolen after they saw the profile photo and other content on the cellphone.
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Police were contacted and the 37-year-old was immediately arrested for possession of suspected stolen items.
Brooklyn station commander, Brigadier Kushie Pietersen thanked the CPF and community patrollers for their assistance in visible patrols to curb street robberies and other crimes.
“The SAPS thanks and appreciates all law-abiding individuals that have heeded the call to participate in the fight against crime by calling the Crime Stop number 08600-10111 and sending tip-offs on the MySAPS App.
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