Minneapolis experiencing rash of smartphone thefts

Aren't these phones cool? Thieves think so too.

​Attention, idiots who walk down dark Minneapolis streets at night while obliviously staring at your fancy phones -- thieves are out there, and if the opportunity presents itself they may leave you iPhone-less.

A police alert issued this afternoon by the city of Minneapolis warns about a recent rash of smartphone thefts throughout the city.

And no, there is no app to keep thieves away -- just good ol' fashioned common sense.

The police alert indicates that many of the recent thefts have occurred between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. It says:

The common denominator is that the victim typically has the smartphone out and is often distracted by it. Some smartphones have been stolen right out of the victim's hands while the victim walked down the street or waited at a bus stop. Other times the victim had the phone sitting on a table in an establishment and a suspect walked by and stole it.

The constant buzzing, chiming, and ringing of smartphones means nobody has anybody's undivided attention these days -- a fact not lost on thieves looking to make a quick buck. So as a general rule, it's a good idea to keep your head up and phone in your pocket or purse when walking around late at night, at least until Apple rolls out their iMace app.