MAPPING CELL PHONE ROBBERIES IN SÃO PAULO

Critical Locations

When analyzing the regions of the city, the center is the area most affected by this type of crime as it concentrates more blocks with high numbers of records. The border between the West and the South Zone is a location quite affected by this crime because is where many events take place, like football matches near Morumbi Stadium, which is among the top 10 most affected locations.

The location with the highest number of cell phone robberies and thefts was the Praça da República, with 1,917 police reports for theft and robbery filed within a year in a small square. In second place, comes the area around Interlagos racetrack, due to events, like music festivals, such as Lollapalooza and the races, it accumulated 1,890 cases. In third place is the stretch of Rua Augusta between R. Peixoto Gomide and R. Dona Antônia de Queirós, with 1,769 cases. These points are all characterized by intense pedestrian movement, which attracts the so-called gang.

Augusta

R. Augusta is one of the roads that accumulated the most consecutive blocks with high rates of cases last year. The worst spots are around Parque Augusta, close to Rua da Consolação. Another spot is at the intersection with Avenida Ipiranga and continues until the surroundings of Rio Branco. This specific part of the city became problematic from the point of view of public security over the last year after the dispersion of drug users who frequent the so-called “Cracolândia.”

The Crime HQ

Rua Guaianases is where the so-called HQ of stolen cell phones operates. There are small businesses and rented apartments located in just one block that is home to the cell phone theft gang that generated up to R$10 million in the last four years. At least four establishments on the same block, between Rua Aurora and Rua Timbiras, are used by criminals to store stolen cell phones and elude police officers.

Big Events

What stands out is the fact that during special events, like concerts, many cases are reported. Additional security reinforcing the locations of these events and private security should prevent the crimes, but the numbers show a different reality. On top of that, there is the fact that even inside the concert premises, many crimes take place.

The Least Affected Districts

The districts where the smallest number of incidents were reported are the few rural zones that surprisingly exist inside the city of São Paulo, such as Marsilac. The areas with the lowest rates of robberies and thefts are in the north and south ends of the city, where there are also more blocks without any occurrences.

The Gangs

The criminal group responsible for many cell phone thefts and robberies in São Paulo is called the “Bicycle Gang”. They normally operate in groups and use the bikes to quickly approach the victim and evade the crime scene. They target distracted people, mostly individuals who expose their cell phones while walking on the streets. Once the device is taken from the targets, they avoid arrest by giving the cell phone to a partner who was not seen at the crime scene and, thus, will not be recognized by the victim as the one responsible for the crime. The gang operates mostly downtown.

There are also other gangs. A very famous is the “Stone Gang”, a group of criminals that operates more commonly in Glicério Viaduct, in Liberdade neighborhood. The criminals wait for the traffic to stop, and then they approach a vehicle and use stones to break its windows, preferably, cars with passengers or drivers using their cell phones or when the phone is fixed on the vehicle dashboard. Finally, they grab the device and run.

Reduction

From 2022 to 2023, according to the Public Security Secretariat (SSP-SP), there was an 11% reduction in this kind of crime in the capital. However, the number is still quite elevated, with almost 200,000 crimes reported.

Why Cell Phones?

Criminals manage to obtain profits by reselling the stolen phone, selling its parts, accessing the bank apps stealing money from bank accounts, and selling personal information stored on the device.

Fighting Crime

The difficulties in fighting this kind of trending crime are great. Some public institutions across the country are attempting to find ways to hamper the growth of cell phone robberies and thefts. One of the difficulties is connected to the sheer volume of cases already opened and of new ones appearing every day. Second, there is the fact that many people do not report them, and the forces are overloaded, ill-equipped, and short in manpower. Finally, the crime is seen as a minor one.

Despite all these problems, some states are finding new ways to fight crime. For instance, Piauí has implemented a new plan to repress cell phone thefts and robberies. An important step for that involved the inclusion of all thefts and robberies involving cell phones in a single case. Meanwhile, people are stimulated to verify if their phones are listed as stolen in databases disclosed by the authorities. In addition, alerts are sent to active cell phones listed as stolen and people using them are invited to police stations where they can hand over the devices and justify the situation. A task force goes after some cell phones located by GPS and the devices are apprehended. During different police operations, people are requested to show their devices and have their IMEI numbers checked.

There is also an initiative by the Federal Government, an app called “Celular Seguro”, that connects banking applications and other services with financial information – like online stores – to cell phone operators, accelerating the response to a crime. The service is capable of blocking all services and information on a stolen cell phone, and it even renders the device useless for calls. It does it automatically when the victim activates the response by accessing his/her “Celular Seguro” account or by contacting his pre-defined emergency contact, a trusted person who can block the device as well.

Exporting Stolen Devices

Still, criminals are finding ways to circumvent the new protection systems by selling stolen phones to criminals abroad. Thurs, when outside the Brazilian network, the device works again. The destination countries are in Africa or South America, mostly Paraguay.

Analysis:

Cell phone theft and robbery have been significantly changing the criminal world and forcing people and organizations to adapt, looking for new ways of protection. Criminals have found in such devices and in the data they store valuable assets, easy to transport, hide, and resell. The context indicates that crimes of such nature will continue to grow, despite occasional reductions. The best response under these circumstances is to implement a proper security system on the cell phone, with passwords, encrypted files, and extra protection for important applications. Furthermore, people should seek insurance products that protect both the device and the content they hold, like banking data.

Sources: Folha de SP [1], [2].