In April 2024, the city of São Paulo had an average of 20 robberies or thefts of cell phones per hour. There were 14,591 registered incidents, a number that exceeds the total of 8,532 crimes recorded in March by 71%. In comparison with the average of the last six months (14,393), there was a slight increase.
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Paulista Avenue
One of the city’s main postcards, Avenida Paulista was one of the addresses that recorded the most robberies or theft of cell phones in April, with at least 135 incidents — behind only Avenida Cruzeiro do Sul, which connects the central region to the North Zone and had 188 records.
In the vicinity of Av. Paulista, streets such as Augusta (96 cases), Consolação (59), and Vergueiro (59) also appear at the top of the list of addresses with the most records of this type of crime.
Decentralized crime
The police station that had the most cell phone thefts or robberies recorded in its area of operation in April was Perdizes, in the West Zone. There were 682 incidents there, with a negative emphasis on Avenida Mário de Andrade, which connects Allianz Parque and the Memorial da América Latina to the Barra Funda station, where 111 people had their cell phones taken by criminals.
Downtown Sao Paulo
The police stations serving the central region recorded an increase in the number of incidents, with 492 cases in the Sé police district and 415 in the Campos Elíseos police district, compared to 225 and 227 in March, respectively. However, the increase in this type of crime was much greater within the neighborhoods. In Alto da Mooca (East Zone), the total number of cases increased from 26 in March to 151 in April. In Vila Joaniza (South Zone), occurrences almost quintupled from one month to the next, going from 36 to 159.
Safe Cell Phone
Vivo, Tim, and Claro joined Celular Seguro, a government program that blocks the telephone lines of stolen devices based on alerts sent by the application available for Android and iPhone (iOS). The initiative aims to make the chip of stolen cell phones unusable to prevent criminals from cloning WhatsApp, social networks, or stealing user data.
How Secure Cell Phone Works
Registration in the application is linked to the Gov.br account. After the user enters their cell phone data into the app, they can use the platform to report when the mobile device is lost, robbed, or stolen. Once this is done, operators receive the request and quickly block the chip. The action also blocks banking, services, and stores apps to prevent scams. There is also the possibility of indicating a trusted contact. This way, someone else can report that his friend’s phone has been stolen/lost.
Analysis:
The alarming increase in cell phone thefts and robberies in São Paulo, with an average of 20 occurrences per hour and 14,591 incidents recorded in April, highlights a growing challenge for public security. Central and busy areas, such as Avenida Paulista and Avenida Cruzeiro do Sul, are critical points, but the decentralization of crime to neighborhoods such as Perdizes and Alto da Mooca reveals a worrying expansion of criminal activities throughout the city.
The Celular Seguro program, which quickly blocks the telephone lines of stolen devices, protects user data, discourages cell phone theft, and prevents fraud. However, it must be complemented by greater policing and awareness campaigns.
