Chicago Mayor Says ‘Kill Switch’ on Cell Phones Could Decrease Theft
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iStock/Thinkstock(CHICAGO) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pushing for cell phones to be equipped with a “kill switch.”
A kill switch would allow a cell phone owner to completely disable a phone if it is lost or stolen.
Mayor Emanuel hopes the legislation would lead to a drop-off in thefts.
“So if one of the reasons on robbery, people are robbing, is for smart phones if it automatically switches off, it takes away the incentive for the robbers to actually take the smart phones, steal the smart phones,” Emanuel said.
Smart phone thefts have accounted for up to half of all street crime in some cities. Minnesota and California have already adopted the legislation.
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