My pet theory is the combination of a rise in CCTV and cell phones + the increased use of credit cards put a big damper. Think of how many situations would be s

My pet theory is the combination of a rise in CCTV and cell phones + the increased use of credit cards put a big damper. Think of how many situations would be scary, if it not were for the fact that CCTV and/or a passerby on a phone would lead to a swift arrest? While there will always be smash and grabs and the like, I think smart criminals have realized there are steep penalties for muggings, the response time is much lower than it was previously, and even if you succeed you won't get much out of it since the CCs will soon be cancelled, the phone is IMEI locked, and the wallet only has a twenty.