EDITORIAL - Foiling thieves

Almost everyone wants to talk and text, but not everyone can afford even the cheapest cellular phone. So it’s no big surprise that there’s a new crime on the rise – cell phone snatching. Cell phones are easier to snatch than a purse, easy to hide as the snatchers make their get-away, easy to dispose of and can’t be traced by the victims. Children as young as 8 have expensive cell phones and leave them lying around like cheap toys. Women who instinctively hug their purses and bags in crowded places to discourage thieves rarely look around for suspicious persons before using their cell phones in public.

If thieves risk arrest and jail time by picking pockets for small change, what will stop them from snatching a cell phone worth thousands of pesos? Snatchers know it’s easy to dodge the police. There are only over a hundred thousand cops, with only a fraction of that number doing patrol duty. Many of the cops have their hands full, going after kidnappers and destabilizers. So don’t expect the cops to keep an eye on every cell phone owner. You can’t call in the Marines either to watch out for cell phone snatchers and other petty thieves. If you want to keep your cell phone safe from the clutches of snatchers, you should start handling it with as much care as you do your purse or expensive wristwatch.

Police aren’t entirely helpless against cell phone snatchers. Cops are normally familiar with the fences in their jurisdictions. Just go to C.M. Recto Avenue for any type or color of stolen cell phone at bargain basement prices. Police can crack down on these fences. Cops should also keep a file of sketches based on victims’ descriptions of cell phone snatchers. It’s highly likely that the same snatchers are operating in a particular area. Cops can also coordinate with security guards to speed up response to complaints of cell phone thefts in malls and other public places.

Cell phone service providers can disable stolen postpaid units, thus preventing the fences from installing new SIM cards. You need to give the provider the cell phone’s IMEI or International Mobile Equipment Identification number. To know your cell phone’s IMEI, dial *#06#. Service providers, however, can’t disable SIM cards of prepaid subscribers.

With a combination of police vigilance, cooperation of service providers and care on the part of owners, it’s possible to thwart cell phone thieves.