Handy Cleaning App Connected To 50 Thefts: Police

MANHATTAN, NY — Police are warning New Yorkers that more than 50 crimes have been connected with a popular cleaning app.

The NYPD sent an email to community members this week warning them that the cleaning app Handy had been linked to more than 50 thefts in 2016. The news was first reported by DNA Info on Friday evening. Police also said that one Handy employee was arrested in the last month for allegedly stealing an app user's property while on the job. Police did not immediately respond to a message from Patch seeking more information about the arrest.

The "Uber for cleaning" app connects users to cleaning professionals and allows app users to purchase a cleaning package or a one-time cleaning session.

This isn't the first time that Handy users have called police to report thefts after using the app. In September, the attorney general in Washington, D.C. filed a lawsuit against the company accusing it of "misleading consumers about the safety of its online housekeeping service." Throughout a 14-month period, 24 D.C. residents told police that Handy cleaners had stolen their property, according to prosecutors.

A spokeswoman for Handy released a statement to Patch, saying that the company conducted background checks on all of its employees and that workers had done 300,000 jobs in New York in 2016.

"Needless to say, we take any allegation of improper conduct seriously, which is why we have worked with the NYPD in these rare instances, and have also met with City Hall and other city leaders to ensure the platform continues to connect New Yorkers to high quality home service providers," she said in the statement.

This post has been updated with additional information.

Image via Philip Wilson on Flickr.