New research carried out by the Metropolitan Police National Mobile Phone Crime Unit has revealed that thefts at UK gigs have more than trebled in the last three years.
Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and Cribs concerts were the most targeted tours last year with arrests being made at all of the gigs. It’s reported that fans do not even realise they have been pick-pocketed until long after their phones have been taken.
The BBC reports that figures for 2006 show that 53 incidents were reported to the cops, with figures for 2009 increasing to a whopping 181 reported incidents. The report also reinforces the message to live music fans that they must keep their valuables in sight at all times.
Targeting specific large-scale gigs with intentions to steal the latest phones, thieves, disguised as fans, will often carry-out their work within the ‘moshpits’ and cramped front rows of concerts, even wearing band merchandise to blend in.
This now common practice has recently been uncovered after gig goers posted messages on artist message boards following their misfortune at the shows.
It was reported not so long ago by Spinner website, that fans who attended two Carter USM gigs in London had discovered thieves had run wild within the moshpit having compared their comments online. All fans had initially thought that they had merely ‘lost’ their valuables at the gig, before reading that many other fans had their valuables actually stolen.
Speaking to BBC’s Newsbeat, Detective Chief Inspector Martin Ford of the Mobile Phone Crime Unit explained how the increase in gig-related thefts came to light. "It was quite clear that people would experience astronomical amounts of lost phones, which couldn't be the case. It was an illogical amount of phones when we started to investigate how many were going from these venues. There were other forces at work."
The Mobile Phone Crime Unit advises that gig goers take an old mobile phone handset to concerts and festivals as well as registering their phones at an immobilisation site. Another tip to avoid being a victim of theft is to simply leave any valuable items at home or in a locker.
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