NEW YORK—The New York Police Department arrested an iPhone thief on Saturday near the Times Square Shuttle platform. The NYPD has implemented a new strategy, sending decoy officers into subways carrying expensive electronics, hoping to lower the rising rate of iPhone and tablet reader thefts. Detective Nelson Dones saw a man approach the decoy officer from behind and take an iPhone out from his backpack. The thief was identified as Fernando Francis from Brooklyn and has a history of arrests. The police say these are usually repeat offenses, and detectives are targeting resellers as well.
City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Peter Vallone told NBC New York this strategy is similar to the usual plan of action—adding more officers.
“The problem is, where do you get the cops from? Crime is not just down in the subways,” Vallone said.
