Pokemon Go-related crimes soared to a record high with police recording 105 offenses in just five weeks, including robberies, sex offenses and thefts, reports the Daily Mail. Pokemon Go, a game that allows players to track and catch various Pokemon characters on the street, is a smash hit with over 500 million downloads.
Pokemon Go players becoming victims of crime
In response to a Freedom of Information request, Met Police revealed several offenses since the launch of the app in the United Kingdom from July 14 through August 21. Met Police revealed that there had been 37 robberies and six sexual offenses of the 105 cases related to Pokemon Go, reports the Daily Mail. Police also presented a full breakdown of Pokemon Go-related crimes, in which most of the cases were related to robbery and a few offenses were related to drugs and burglary.
A Met spokesmen said the numbers of cases which had the keywords “Pokemon” and “Pokemon Go” were released after the request for information on crimes with these keywords was received. He added that the officers from the safer neighborhood teams would visit different Pokestops to learn about possible victims of crime.
“We are always looking for opportunities to prevent crime and our Safer Neighbourhood Teams will prioritise how and where they focus their attentions based on the needs of the local area,” the spokesman said.
Additionally, the spokesman urged Pokemon Go players to pay attention to their environment. Mobile theft is a major problem and is reported often, the spokesman said, adding that it can be minimized if people use their devices carefully in public.
“Please enjoy the game but stay alert to the outside world while you do.”
Niantic preparing for big December update
Meanwhile, Niantic is leaving no stone unturned in retaining players. Pokemon Go‘s December update is expected to come with Gen 2 and Legendary Pokémon introduced. Pokemon Gen 2 may include Bellosom, Slowking, Steelix, Porygon2, Cyndaquil, Wobbuffet and more.
Niantic CEO Mike Quigley told MCV UK that their development team is already working on plans for special events for the game’s expansion. Players can expect more excitement in the game, as Niantic could introduce trading and battling between players. Both features are core mechanics of previous Pokemon games, and trainers have been waiting for them since the launch of the mobile app. Setup for new Pokemon has already been found in the game’s code.
