Crime prevention officer warns of phone thefts danger
Well over 200 mobile phones have been reported as stolen in Laois/Offaly since the beginning of last year – which, happily, is a tiny number compared to the 7,375 phone thefts that occurred in Dublin.
Nationally, 11,488 phones were reported to the gardaí as stolen over that 20-month period, 233 of those in Laois/Offaly, a whopping 398 in Kildare, 183 in Westmeath, 214 in Meath and 78 in Roscommon/Leitrim.
Unfortunately, out of that total of 11,488, just 1,176 have been recovered.
This week, Sgt Graham Kavanagh, who is the Crime Prevention Officer for Laois/Offaly, has issued advice aimed at increasing the chances of having the owners of lost or stolen phones reunited with their devices.
The key step, he says, is to download a trusted "find my phone” app and add an emergency contact number to their contact screen.
"The price of mobile phones makes them a clear target for criminals, so let’s try and deter them by increasing phone security,” Sgt Kavanagh advises.
“If you have a smartphone, we recommend downloading a trusted location finder app so if it is lost or stolen, you have a better chance of getting it back.
“Some phones already have a feature like this already so have a look in the security settings on your phone.”
Sgt Kavanagh reveals that the garda property stores throughout the country receive a lot of stolen and lost phones that they cannot trace the owners for.
"We highly recommend that you add a family member or friend as an emergency contact in your phone. Adding the emergency contact will help solve this problem. If we receive a lost or stolen phone, we will be able to contact that person.”
There are other preventative measures Sgt Kavanagh also advises, such as enabling the PIN Security feature, keeping your phone locked at all times, and property-marking it with unique personal letters or numbers.
"For those who do not own a smartphone, call *#06# on your keypad and note the IMEI number that comes up. This is a 15 digit number that is unique to your phone. If your phone is lost or stolen, call your service provider immediately so they can block the phone,” he advises.
"If you believe your phone has been stolen, you should call Gardaí immediately. Do not follow the person via your tracking app”, warned Sergeant Kavanagh.