NYC Sees Wave Of iThieves

Thefts and robberies are soaring in NYC and the crooks are focusing on handheld electronics.

An eCrime wave is sweeping the city with iPads, smartphones and other pricey devices now more popular with Big Apple thieves than even cold hard cash, cops say. Half of the nearly 16,000 robberies in New York over the first 10 months of this year involved the trendy gadgets — mostly cell phones, an NYPD study found. “This makes electronics the single most stolen property type, surpassing even hard currency,” says the report. The thieves’ most wanted gadget is the iPhone, which accounts for over 70% of all stolen cell phones on subways and buses, the NYPD analysis reveals. Computers, tablets and MP3 players also account for nearly half the burglaries and 35% of all grand larcenies citywide, police said.

Cops say the number of thefts is higher than records show because some victims don't report muggings. The most common subway tactic is to reach in and snatch the device just as the doors are closing. (I witnessed this once.) The MTA advises keeping items in your pockets when standing near the doors.