Harkening back to the days of Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” London is seeing a sharp increase in pickpockets. The problem involves not only pickpockets but also people being robbed at knife-point.

While overall crime fell across England and Wales, the number of thefts from a person went up by 10 per cent between 2010 and 2011 according to www.telegraph.co.uk.

The large increase is most likely due to the theft of smart phones and other popular gadgets.

Knife is Weapon of Choice for Thieves

Almost a quarter of robberies recorded by the police in 2011 involved a knife or other sharp instrument.

In addition to thefts against people, thefts from homes and other buildings also went up by five per cent. One of the primary reasons is the surge in the number of crimes involving gangs stealing metal from churches and other public buildings.

But while the number of offenses in many areas remained static, there was a dramatic swing in the number of street thefts and pickpocketing offences taking place. 

According to the police figures robbery offenses, including muggings went up by three per cent, with a rise of 13 per cent, however this category also included attempted robberies and the theft of unattended items.

Have you ever been pickpocketed? Law enforcement officials in the U.S. are reporting more claims of pickpocket theft as well. Often these offenders are required to take a four hour theft class as a result. Society would be a lot better if we all just did not take what does not belong to us. Don’t you agree?