The NYPD is creating a grand larceny unit to address one of the fastest growing crimes in the city: identity and electronics thefts.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton says the 300-member unit will focus on preventing thefts of smart phones, computer tablets and people's financial resources.
Bratton says grand larcenies account for 40 percent of all crimes in the city. He says they make up a majority of the crimes in Manhattan below 125th Street.
The Wall Street Journal says it's unclear from where the officers will be pulled. Bratton says more details will be unveiled in coming days.
Currently, the agency's financial crimes unit and several other divisions focus on the problems.
Bratton made the announcement during a speech organized by the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute.
