Metro is cracking down on iThefts, trying to stop thieves from snatching riders’ pricey electronic devices this holiday season, when the crimes typically spike. The transit agency is using new public address announcements and ads in the rail system to warn riders of how easy it is for someone to steal that shiny new iPhone 4S. It has been cracking down on the people who fence the stolen gadgets. And now it has gone undercover to lure would-be thieves into robbing the wrong riders.
“Snatching is a crime of opportunity,” Metro Transit Police Deputy Chief Ron Pavlik explained. And Metro is giving crooks the opportunity to get caught.
| Tips for avoiding thieves |
| • Remain alert. |
| • Keep electronic devices out of sight — in pockets or bags. |
| • If you need to use it, hold with both hands. |
| • Don’t use it near the train doors. |
| Source: Metro |
Since October, cops in street clothes have been riding the system, standing around with devices held carelessly enough that a thief may try to nab their Nook. But when the thieves strike, so do the cops. They’ve already made dozens of arrests.
Such thefts are a problem plaguing transit systems around the country as smartphones and e-readers proliferate. Work-weary commuters are easy marks as they zone out, listening to music or playing “Angry Birds,” with expensive devices in hand.
Last year, Metro logged more serious crimes than at least the six previous years, much of it fueled by such robberies. The agency investigated 1,007 robberies in 2010, nearly triple the number it had in 2005. And three of every four cases entailed pricey electronic devices getting snatched out of riders’ hands.
The most common way that thieves steal the devices is to snatch them as the train doors close. The thief hops out just in time, leaving the victim caught inside, unable to chase after the culprit.
The worst spots tend to be on the Green Line, said Pavlik, from Fort Totten to Suitland, followed by the Red Line between Dupont Circle and Rhode Island Avenue. Police recently have seen increases at the Anacostia stop on the Green Line and Rhode Island Avenue on the Red Line, he said.
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From July through September, the number of snatch robberies fell from a year earlier, from 57 to 45 cases.
But Metro expects the number of robberies to rise. The agency’s own undercover efforts to stop the cases may fuel the numbers, said Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said. But arrests should climb, too.
The holiday season normally causes an increase — and the police expect another uptick after the holidays as everyone returns to their normal commutes with their shiny new gifts. Pavlik said he expects it will be especially bad this year because of the technological boom that has dropped the cost of e-readers to under $100.
“Keep that device close at heart, close at hand,” Pavlik urged. “Don’t give them the opportunity to steal it.”
