Between 2017 and February 27 2024, a total 587,498 phones were stolen in London
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Courts need to stop releasing repeat offender phone thieves on bail allowing them to go out and commit more crimes, the head of Britain's biggest police force has said.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley also called on phone manufacturers and telecoms companies to make it harder for criminals to reset and re-sell stolen phones.
He spoke as the force said the number of recorded phone thefts in London went from 81,365 in 2024 to 71,391 last year.
Separate figures available on the Met's crime data website show that in 2023 there were 52,820 thefts from the person where a phone was taken, and 14,326 robberies; the figures for 2024 were 70,249 thefts and 11,125 robberies; and for 2025 61,292 thefts and 10,207 robberies.
In the past month the Met has arrested 248 people over phone theft and recovered around 770 stolen handsets.
One operation saw the arrest of 32 suspected members of an organised crime gang, that advertised on social media to recruit children as young as 14 to steal phones.
Officers seized 1,000 mobile phones and 200 laptops that were due to be smuggled abroad.
Sir Mark said: "Over the past year, we've made hundreds of arrests and recovered tens of thousands of stolen devices.
"That work has meant 10,000 fewer people facing the stress, cost and disruption that comes with having their phone stolen.
"It is this work that is making London an even safer city.
"But policing alone cannot solve this problem.
"Manufacturers and tech companies must do more to stop criminals being able to reset, reuse or resell stolen phones.
"We also need the courts to play their part by preventing repeat offenders being bailed only to go out and offend again, undermining the hard work officers are doing to keep communities safe."
Figures released under Freedom of Information legislation show that between 2017 and February 27 2024, a total 587,498 phones were stolen in London excluding the City, 13,998 of which were recovered, and 573,500 were not.
The Metropolitan Police said it is using drones, e-bikes and live facial recognition to help catch phone thieves.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has put forward proposals for £4.5 million in funding to deal with phone theft, including creating a command cell responding to thefts and robberies in the West End.
Sir Sadiq said: "Too many Londoners have been the victim of phone theft.
"Our new intensive action is putting us on the front foot when tackling phone thieves and dismantling the gangs behind the scourge of thefts here in London."
He went on: "New drones are supporting officers to capture evidence and improve intelligence gathering and new e-bikes are helping officers outpace and outmanoeuvre criminals who use bicycles or electric motorbikes and scooters to commit phone thefts or evade police.
"But we know there is still more to do.
"Which is why as Mayor I'll continue to prioritise neighbourhood policing and will continue to push the mobile phone industry to go much further in preventing stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed, building a safer London for everyone."