Asking phone manufacturers to “design out” incentives for criminals to steal phones is not as goofy as it sounds. When a rash of car radios and satellite navigation gear got stolen out of automobiles in the city, car manufacturers worked with police to reduce the thefts by integrating the radios and satellite receivers into the dashboard.
The mayor of London wants phone manufacturers to make their devices less desirable to thieves in London
Met chief Sir Mark said, “”The current practice of allowing stolen mobiles to be re-registered by new users within the phone industry inadvertently enables a criminal market which drives robbery, thefts, and violent offending in London. We’ve been really clear there are root causes of violence we cannot tackle alone. We need partners to step up to the plate and work alongside us to break this cycle of violence.”
London’s Mayor Khan said, “The spiraling cost of living threatens to exacerbate the drivers of violence and robberies, which we know disproportionately impact young people.” He added that it is “simply too easy and profitable for criminals right now to repurpose and sell on stolen phones.”
