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The campaign, which debuted in London this summer, has faced backlash. residents and visitors Criticized authorities for failing to tackle crime head-on.
The ‘Mind the Grab’ initiative aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of mobile phone theft along the city’s iconic Oxford Street shopping precinct.
At the edge of the sidewalk are bold signs written in purple chalk that say “Beware of Grabbing” and “Stay Off the Curb! Hot Spot for Cell Phone Snatchers.”
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Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police have teamed up with Currys, the UK’s largest tech retailer, to warn pedestrians about moped and e-bike theft on busy streets.
The campaign has sparked a positive reaction online since its launch, with locals and tourists voicing strong opinions on social media.
Social media users have slammed London’s ‘Mind the Grab’ initiative. (Rashid Nekati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
One Instagram user posted a video detailing the campaign, writing: “London is telling us to cover up.” our phone Instead of stopping the thief. Who should really be held responsible? ”
“We are normalizing theft,” said one user on the Reddit forum r/ukpolitics.
Another said: “Slowly, we are drifting towards a ubiquitous Third World ‘pickpockets are active in this part of the world’, pardoning national responsibility when it counts and a warm embrace when it is undesirable.”
Another Redditor said: “Basically the authorities in London are refusing to actually do anything and are trying to shift the blame onto people who use mobile phones in central London.”
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“I went to Paris in 2022. [and] “In 2023, as soon as I got on the train, I noticed a recording saying ‘Beware of pickpockets,'” another user wrote.
User X replied to a post with the caption: “What’s stopping you from visiting London?” Reply with the comment “Beware of stings and ‘grabbing'”.
At the edge of the sidewalk are bold signs written in purple chalk that read “Beware of Grabbing” and “Stay Off the Curb! Hot Spot for Cell Phone Snatchers.” (Photo by Richard Baker/Getty Images)
Another X post said, “Instead of catching the phone theft criminals, the authorities blamed the victims at the purple ‘Mind the Grab’ line on Oxford Street.”
Last month, the Metropolitan Police busted an international gang suspected of smuggling about 40,000 mobile phones from Britain to China, according to the Associated Press.
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More than half of the cellphones are believed to have been taken in London.
“Instead of stopping thieves, London is telling us to hide our phones,” one source said on social media. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
More than 115,000 mobile phones were stolen across London in 2023, according to Metropolitan Police data.
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In a press release in August, Chief Superintendent Natasha Evans of Westminster Police said: “Officers are relentlessly pursuing criminal gangs intent on robbery and mobile phone theft.”
“Police officers are relentlessly pursuing criminal organizations.”
She added: “We have increased patrols in hotspot areas to identify and stop perpetrators, and robberies are also on the rise.” [been] There has been a 20% reduction in the West End since April. ”
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London remains a popular tourist destination, with around 21 million tourists visiting in recent years, of which around 3.6 million are from North America on “overnight visits.” UK Office for National Statistics.
