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Subway Thieves Beware: NYPD Decoys Are Waiting For You
By
Garth Johnston
Published Aug 17, 2012
Modified Aug 17, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Aug 17, 2012
Modified Aug 17, 2012
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Though it doesn't really bother Bloomberg, the NYPD recognizes that subway crime—especially involving expensive gadgets like iPhones—is not slowing down. So in addition to "underground marshals" and other crime prevention programs the police are also putting out out undercover cops with decoy phones to lure in the crooks. And look, they went and told the local tabloids about a successful catch!
On Wednesday police busted two teenage cousins (one 16 and the other 18) after they allegedly took an iPhone out of the backpack of a cop on an uptown 6 train. The actual snatching went just fine for the kids, but when they got off the train in the Bronx police swooped in and arrested them. And now they are ready to be a lesson to the city's youth! "This is stupid. I had money in my pocket, I didn’t need to do that," the younger thief, who was actually caught with the phone, said after being released without bail.
Will the fact that there are more cops out there trying to bait thieves make a difference? Maybe? So far subway crime is still up this year, with a 12.4 percent jump in grand larcenies and a 23.7 percent jump in robberies. 1,555 Apple products have been stolen on the subway so far this year (up from 1,386 this time last year) with 25 iPhone larceny arrests made by decoy officers.
Still, on the plus side, while the cops are doing their thing some straphangers have also begun fighting back and catching crooks themselves.
Tagged
iphones
itheft
MTA
nypd
subway
subway theft
Garth Johnston
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