FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (CBS12) — Hold on to your phone. Fort Lauderdale has the highest rate of cellphone and handheld device thefts in the nation, according to a new study analyzing FBI crime data.
The study, conducted by IT Asset Management Group, found that Fort Lauderdale recorded 480.1 thefts per 100,000 residents in 2025, more than three and a half times the national average of 137.
According to the study, Fort Lauderdale reported 918 thefts involving phones and other handheld devices, with a population of about 191,000…