On Monday 8th April 2013 the Dublin City Joint Policing Committee launched a leaflet addressing the current problem of thefts of smart phones in Dublin city.
The theft of smart phones has increased significantly. Statistics from An Garda Síochána shows that nearly 8,000 were reported stolen in the first six months of 2012.
The Dublin City Joint Policing Committee is a forum consisting of councillors, TDs, Senators, Gardaí, council officials and representatives from the community/business sector. Its focus is to develop an integrated approach to policing and safety in the city.
Part of its work is spreading information on how people can prevent crime.
Four issues have been selected for attention;
• Burglaries in the Home (November 2012)
• Theft of Mobile Phones (April 2013)
• Night time economy issues
• Public disorder
On Monday 8th April 2013 the Joint Policing Committee published an information leaflet on the theft of smart phones:
Commenting, the Chairperson of the Committee Councillor Gerry Breen said:
"Stories of stolen smart phones abound and the ordeal for victims is considerable. The theft often happens in broad daylight when people are walking along the street using a smart phone.
In discussions with Gardaí on to get greater awareness on this high impact crime, I have asked them to target those criminal elements that may be making a lucrative trade from stolen smart phones.
The City Joint Policing Committee continues to work hard for the benefit of citizens in Dublin City and promoting a multi-faceted approach to crime prevention. Crime prevention and safety needs our full attention and shouldn’t be nor cannot be solely left to the Gardaí”.
Chief Superintendent Michael O'Sullivan from Pearse Street says " analysis of crime trends in 2012 indicates that a mere 15% of mobile phone owners had their IMEI number available when reporting the theft incident. Operation Aughrim" was initiated in the Dublin Metropolitan Region in an effort to prevent and detect the commission of mobile phone related offences and in an effort to restore recovered mobile phones to their rightful owners. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight and improve awareness around the need for personal safety when using your mobile phone in public, the importance of recording your IMEI number and alerting your service provider to block the handset if lost or stolen".
The Joint Policing Committee is an important forum for the promotion of safety and related issues in the City and has the following five Policing Sub-committees in each of the electoral areas reporting into it:
• Dublin South East
• Dublin Central
• Dublin North West
• Dublin North Central
• Dublin South Central
The launch of this leaflet took place on Monday 8th April 2013 at Dublin City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2.
