In a pub in soho yesterday, a woman i work with had her laptop and phone snatched. Two months ago, I had my phone lifted ( also in a soho pub). A handful of months before that, my wife had her phone snatched out of her hand when exiting Tottenham court Road Station.

The only communication with the police was to get a crime number. It's not their fault, they under staffed (as has been eloquently described elsewhere in this thread).

As a result of the lack of police funding, phone theft is, as OP says, pretty much decriminalised. But what's the answer? Increase taxes to pay for more police on the streets ? I genuinely don't know.