Primary Targets

U.K. Street Crime Up 40%; iPods, "Gadgets" Primary Targets

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 12, 2005 - 5:04am.
London - Police have blamed a sharp increase in the number of street robberies in the U.K. on the increasing popularity of iPods, MP3 players and 3G mobile phones. According to the British Home Office, street robberies in some parts of Britain have increased by 40%, with children and students being the main victims of "gadget" crime. Between April and June this year, London Police recorded more than 1,500 robberies, a 15% increase. According to the Metropolitan police, the theft of iPods alone has risen fivefold since last November.