How We Might Lower The Number Of Park Slope Smartphone Thefts

Are Telecoms and lawmakers playing deaf/dumb/blind when it comes to crime?

These days you can’t read a Brooklyn Paper crime summary without noticing how many thefts and muggings involve cell phones. CBS News recently reported that half of all robberies in NY last year involved personal electronic devices, and of these 70% were iPhones. Robberies in Park Slope's precinct alone rose 32% since last year.

And it makes perfect sense.  These gadgets aren’t just mere phones, but sophisticated pocket computers, cameras, TVs, stereos, GPS devices and gaming platforms. Plus they hold all sorts of info that any identity thief wants to nab. Here’s how it goes down: Usually the crooks quickly disable and convert the stolen phone, so even popular tracking apps are quickly rendered useless. And the telecom companies imply there’s nothing much else they can do but shut down your number and reassign it to a new phone.  

But is that true?

C.W. Nevius, a columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle, surmises that telecom carries have the additional ability to further disable stolen devices by using each phone’s unique serial number to neuter the device.  In sort, they can render it forever useless for the average thief, which helps eliminate the resale market for stolen goods.  In other words, if your shit gets stolen they can make it worthless.

In Australia, telecom companies have offered device disabling since 2004 and cell phone thefts have dropped 25%, despite record growth in usage. American telecoms won’t do this. Why? They won’t say. But it’s not hard to understand. They make additional money when you have to pay hundreds for a new device, plus they make even more money serving the new customers using pilfered gear.

There will always be crooks, but if there’s a way to disincentivize half the robberies in New York, shouldn’t something be done?