I recently attended the International Mobile Phone Crime Conference, and it was great to see police forces, mobile phone companies, and other partners come together to tackle the growing issue of phone theft, a campaign I am committed to advancing.
It was particularly encouraging to hear from the Mayor of London and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who emphasised the urgent need for action. I was pleased to see the Commissioner set a clear deadline for phone companies to implement a number of measures, that included rendering stolen devices worthless.
This is a practical step, similar to how car stereo theft was effectively engineered out of existence years ago, and could serve as a model for addressing other preventable crimes.
Collaborative efforts like this show that real solutions are within our reach, but it is vital that all partners follow through. If mobile phone companies fail to act, it may be time for legislation to ensure the public is properly protected.
