• Mobile network operator and leading mobile phone manufacturers represented in meet at City Hall
• Meeting will focus on how the police, City Hall and the mobile phone industry can work better together to discuss measures to reduce mobile phone crime

The mobile industry, the Mayor of London and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service today (Tuesday, 17^th October) meet to discuss mobile phone theft across the capital.

The meeting will focus on how the police, City Hall and the mobile phone industry can work together to discuss measures to reduce mobile phone robberies in London and beyond.

A number of options will be discussed by leading industry, technological and policing experts at today’s meeting, including:

• Improving the location tracing of stolen mobile phones so the cycle of handling stolen goods can be broken, more devices can be recovered and offenders brought to justice;
• Taking action that could stop stolen mobile phones being able to be re-registered for services provided by Apple, Google Play, Samsung and other online stores;
• Exploring steps that could prevent stolen devices being used outside the UK.

Hamish MacLeod, Chief Executive Mobile UK said:

“Mobile Operators and the Device and Operating System manufacturers have several capabilities and measures to deter the theft of mobile phones, including the provision of capabilities which customers can enable, allowing them to track and disable mobile handsets. We welcome today’s roundtable to discuss with the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police further actions, including prioritising mobile theft and prosecutions to deter and reduce these crimes.”  

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:  

“Today, we’ve convened leading representatives from the mobile phone industry to design out the theft and robbery of mobile phones and ultimately make London safer for everyone.

“This meeting is an important milestone to developing a practical and long-term solution to ending the menace of mobile phone crime which we know is driving violence and criminality in our communities - not just in London but across the UK"

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