Over 30,000 cellphones stolen in Toronto since 2004: report

More than 30,000 cellphones and other handheld devices have been reported stolen to Toronto police since 2004, according to a published report.

From Jan. 1, 2004, to Sept. 24, 2013, there were 11,925 robberies and 21,680 thefts of cellphones and other handheld devices, the Toronto Star reported.

The Star said nearly one-fifth of all these thefts and robberies have been in the city’s core including the Bay Street corridor, the Church-Yonge corridor and the waterfront.

The thefts prompted police chief Bill Blair and politicians to push for the creation of a national registry of stolen smartphones, the paper stated.

In September 2013, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association launched an industry initiative, protectyourdata.ca, which has a tool that allows the public to check the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of any smartphone against its national registry to determine if the device has been reported lost or stolen in Canada.

Wireless carriers have agreed to cut off service to phones on the national blacklist and not reactivate it, the Star said.

Toronto police say it’s too early to know if the blacklist has been successful in deterring the thefts and robberies of electronic handheld devices in the city, the paper said.

Have you had a smartphone stolen? Share your stories in the comments.

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