Police will be allowed to search homes for stolen mobile phones without a warrant under new legislation unveiled in parliament on Tuesday.
The measure is just one included in the government’s new Crime and Policing Bill, aimed at “taking back control of town centres” from criminals.
The proposals, which the government want to come into force by the end of this year, would permit officers to act in the so-called “golden hour” of investigations to search places where stolen items have been tracked electronically.
The bill contains a range of measures from tackling knife crime to anti-social behaviour, with home secretary Yvette Cooper saying it is about “taking back our streets and town centres” and “restoring respect for law and order”.
What are the specific phone theft laws in the Crime and Policing Bill?
The bill would give police forces new powers that would include the authority to enter a premises to search for and seize any stolen goods that have been electronically tracked, from mobile phones to cars and agricultural machinery.
Police could take faster action to recover stolen goods by getting approval from an inspector or higher ranking officer, rather than going through the courts systems to obtain a warrant.
This could lead to the recovery of phones that have been tracked by a “find my phone” app, wifi access points, Bluetooth, mobile network technology or tracking devices attached to any other possession or vehicle.
The government says this will allow police to act swiftly in the “golden hour” of investigations, when time is of the essence after a theft.
Cooper said: “For the last few years, our towns and cities have seen street theft shoot up, as organised gangs have been targeting mobile phones.
“But it is extremely frustrating for victims when they can see exactly where their stolen phone has gone but nothing is done.
“That is why we are determined to give the police the powers they need to move fast to crack down on these crimes that are blighting our communities.”
How bad is phone theft in the UK?
The theft of smartphones has become a huge issue in the UK, and has been fuelled by the rise in gangs using e-bikes to pounce on unsuspecting members of the public.
Earlier this month, following Freedom of Information requests to 29 police forces, The Independent reported that there were at least 83,900 phone theft offences in the 12 months up to July 2024, almost double the 45,800 five years previously.
It said that London is the centre of smartphone theft, making up more than three quarters of cases, doubling to 64,224 instances in the past five years.
What other measures are in the bill?
The legislation proposes to introduce Respect Orders to tackle anti-social behaviour, similar to Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos), introduced the last time Labour were in power but which were scrapped by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
The bill also proposes to clamp down on knife crime, by creating the power to seize bladed articles found on private property.
A new offence of assaulting a retail worker also aims to give staff in shops more protection, while the legislation that made the theft of items below £200 a summary-only offence will be removed.
The bill would also make cuckooing, whereby gangs take over someone’s home for criminal activity, a specific offence. A new criminal offence for drink spiking will also be introduced.
A full list of the proposals can be found on the government’s website here.
