FF: It�s mostly an increase in media publicity accompanied with video footage. In the past many incidents weren�t publicized, or were just in the local community papers, and mostly went unreported to the police. There was simply no �proof� to bother with it. Now with CCTV cameras everywhere, there�s hope the perpetrator will be caught, and the police are forced to take each case seriously.
There might also be the attention factor, of bums wanting to have their face/video plastered all over and gain �praise� from their likeminded friends. Which brings me to the copycat factor, which kind of negates what I just said…