Hold onto your phone: Toronto police warning of pickpocketing at festivals
150 phones reported stolen following last weekend’s Pride festival, police say
Police are once again reminding people to stay alert during festivals this summer.
Toronto police say 150 phones were reported stolen to the 51 division following last weekend's Pride festival. Const. Laurie McCann told CBC that there could be more stolen phones that were not reported to police or were reported to other police services.
She says summer is a bigger issue for pickpocketing in the city because people wear fewer clothes, like jackets, and many keep their phones in their back pockets.
"The phone does not go in your back pocket, because we know it's very easy to have your phone removed. You're not going to know it's gone," said McCann.
"You're in a crowd with a lot of people, it's a very easy distraction."
Toronto police said in a news release last week that they received increased reports in May and June of cellphone thefts at locations where crowds gathered for public festivals.
Police said suspects are stealing cellphones from bags, backpacks, pockets and purses, and also swiping devices left momentarily unattended. In some cases, the suspects removed cellphones from zipped-closed purses and bag pockets.
McCann says Torontonians should be aware of their surroundings all year long, and not just during summer festival season.
"It's not just at festivals, it can happen anywhere," she said.
"You have to think of concerts as well. I can tell you that with the Taylor Swift concert, we did have a large number of cellphones stolen."
Last week, Toronto police hosted a news conference ahead of Pride festivities to remind spectators and participants of the danger of theft. Police said more than 300 cellphones were stolen at the festival last year.
"It's festival season, people are out in large gatherings, outdoors, so pickpocketers have the opportunity to get a little closer to people and take advantage of situations," Chief Superintendent Mandeep Mann said at the news conference.
The Canadian Telecommunications Association (CTA) said in a statement that it encourages people to take proactive steps to secure their devices, such as enabling screen locks and using tracking and remote wipe features.
Device owners should also report any lost or stolen devices to their service provider and local law enforcement, CTA said.
"Having your cellphone stolen is not only upsetting, it can also put your personal information at serious risk. Stolen devices may give thieves access to sensitive data that can be misused for fraud or identity theft," the CTA said in its statement.
Toronto will still host several festivals this summer, including Salsa on St. Clair, Fringe Festival, Caribana, and Taste of the Middle East.
The founder of Taste of the Middle East is recommending that participants take care of their belongings if they head out to the festival this weekend.
"Especially if you're in downtown Toronto, just take care of yourself," Hamsa Diab Farhat said Friday.
The festival runs from Friday to Sunday at Nathan Phillips Square, and organizers estimate to see over 50,000 people taking part in its festivities.
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With files from Greg Ross