Over 7,000 mobile phones have been stolen since the beginning of 2015 - most of them smart phones.
Gardaí say the combined value of those phones was almost €3 million.
Mobile phones are stolen in 60% of thefts and robberies, though numbers fell 5% last year.
Most incidents happen between 10pm and 4am.
Gardaí are recommending that people should record the IMEI details of their smart phone.
In a campaign to coincide with St Patrick's Day An Garda Síochána si also warning people to beware of thieves and pickpockets.
On St Patrick's Day, there is usually a spike in these kind of robbery figures as crowds come together in close quarters.
€3 million worth of mobile phones stolen in 2015. Only 1 in 3 knew their IMEI number when reporting theft. https://t.co/v9U9EVtwue
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) March 14, 2016
The importance of recording your IMEI number was highlighted recently when Gardaí in Galway recovered 15 mobile phones and were able to identify the owners.
A suspect has been arrested and charged in relation to the matter.
Recording IMEI number
The advice from gardaí is:
1. Simply dial *#06#
2. A 15 digit number will appear on your screen
3. Take a screen shot of this number (this usually involves holding the power button and home button simultaneously, handsets may vary).
4. Email this picture to yourself, giving you a permanent record of this number.
Sergeant Courtney also provided personal safety advice for mobile phone owners.
