It comes as figures show that of the €5m worth of mobile phones stolen since the beginning of last year only 10 per cent were recovered.
11,488 mobile phones have been stolen since the January 2019.
Gardaí are also advising people to download a trusted "find my phone" app and adding an emergency contact number to their phone.
Speaking at today’s campaign launch crime prevention officer for the Meath Division, Sergeant Dean Kerins said:
"The price of mobile phones makes them a clear target for criminals, so let’s try and deter them by increasing phone security.
Preventative measures
"If you a have a smartphone, we recommend downloading a trusted location finder app so if it is lost or stolen, you have a better chance of getting it back.We also highly recommend that you add a family member or friend as an emergency contact in your phone.
"If we receive a lost or stolen phone, we will be able to contact that person. Our property stores throughout the country receive a lot of stolen and lost phones that we cannot trace the owners for. Adding the emergency contact will help solve this problem."
Sergeant Kerins said there are other preventative measures you can take such as: enabling the PIN Security feature, keeping your phone locked at all times, and property-mark it with unique personal letters or numbers.
He added that "For those who do not own a smartphone, call *#06# on your keypad and note the IMEI number that comes up. This is a 15 digit number that is unique to your phone. If your phone is lost or stolen, call your service provider immediately so they can block the phone.
Gardai are advising people if they believe their phone has been stolen, they should call Gardaí immediately and not to follow the person via a tracking app.They also said the most common place for phones to be stolen is out in public or in a licensed premises.
