Will Young, a sophomore at Manhattan School of Music, was walking on 125th at night this September when his phone was snatched from his grip.
“I was talking on the phone to a friend while I was alone outside,” Young said. “At some point, I had the phone ripped away from my hand while I was still talking.”
To Young—and to others in Morningside Heights and on Columbia’s campus—it seems that cell phone crimes have increased this fall.
There have been news reports of at least five cell phone thefts in Morningside Heights—with the most recent incident of theft occurring on Oct. 27.
According to James McShane, vice president of public safety, University investigations are ongoing and in conjunction with the 26th Precinct on the most recent theft.
“While there appears to be a spike in these crimes, throughout the Morningside area, particularly late at night, we have historically seen patterns similar to this during the fall semesters,” McShane said. “This is not simply a Morningside issue. This is a city-wide issue, primarily because cell phones present an attractive and relatively simple target.”
Jason Harper, community affairs officer for the 26th Precinct, said that cell phone theft is categorized as “snatching”—which, under grand larceny, is the third most common form, behind identity theft and unidentified property.
He said that statistics for cell phone theft are compiled weekly, adding, though, that data was unable to be sorted through and compiled before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Professor Flora Davidson, professor of political science and urban studies, said that making claims on trends requires data, but added, “Cases of petty theft tend to increase around the holidays.”
Cell phones, she said, are a risk because they are easy to steal. “Traditionally, petty thieves tend to steal cell phones, because they are small, compact, and are attractive to those who are not able to afford them,” Davidson said.
McShane said that Public Safety is addressing this concern through crime alerts, lectures on crime prevention topics, and a monthly crime prevention newsletter.
“I always see the emails Public Safety sends out when cell phones are stolen” Eric Goodman, CC ’11, said. “However, I feel that there is a way to still text and stay aware of your surroundings.”
Young said that he has learned from his experience, and he always tries to make sure he is not alone in certain areas at night. “Do not talk on the phone at night alone. If you want to talk to someone, wait until you get inside. Also, don’t show any type of valuables outside at night,” he said.
“I have not heard of cell phone theft being a problem in our neighborhood,” added Karishma Habbu, CC ’13. “People just need to be responsible with their stuff. No one will go out of their way to steal a cell phone, so don’t make it easy for them to do it.”
Still, McShane said, new technologies can be problematic.
“Too often, many of us become distracted in public spaces because we are engaged by some sort of electronic device or another,” he said. “We all need to pay closer attention when walking down the street.”
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