Ending smart phone robberies with technology rather than arrests

A great deal of crime is circumstantial and/or opportunistic: Change the circumstances, maybe crime doesn't occur in the first place.

Much has been written about declining crime rates over the past two decades, but one of the few categories where one occasionally sees increases at the local level has been "robberies," and this tidbit from the Washington Post ("Wireless carriers partner with FCC, police on database of stolen cell phones," April 9) perhaps explains that occasional aberration: "Cellphone theft has been rampant in cities across the country. More than 40 percent of robberies in New York involve smartphones. In the District [of Columbia], 34 percent of all robberies are of cellphones, and cellphone theft increased 54 percent between 2007 and 2011."

That's perhaps unsurprising, but not a trend I've heard discussed much. I wonder what percentage of robberies in Texas involve smart phones? To the extent that's a driving factor, a new national initiative may soon all but eliminate smart phones as a motive for robbery. Reports the Post, "Within six months, consumers will be able to call Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile if their devices are stolen and the carriers will block the phones from being used again."

Excellent news. Just like it's easier for homeowners to lock their doors and windows than for police to solve a burglary, it's easier to eliminate the payoff from stealing a smart phone by disabling it than it is to generally deter through punishment alone.

RELATED: From Bruce Schneier, see 'Lost Smart Phones and Human Nature,' and 'Law Enforcement Forensics Tools Against Smart Phones'