RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
TO REQUIRE ANTI-THEFT SOFTWARE ON ALL SMARTPHONES
WHEREAS, On March 28, 2011, a 68-year-old woman died after being shoved down the stairs at the CTA's Fullerton station by a 17-year-old who fled with an iPhone he stole on a train; and
WHEREAS, On the morning of January 13, 2014, a 17-year-old girl was waiting at a bus stop on her way to school when a man walked up and demanded her cell phone. Before the girl had a chance to respond, the robber shot her in the stomach; and
WHEREAS, 113 smartphones are stolen every minute in the United States. In New York City, those thefts account for 14 percent of all crime. The Federal Trade Commission cites one out of three robberies nationwide involves the theft of a mobile phone.
WHEREAS, Secure Our Smartphones (SOS), an initiative spearheaded by a coalition of law enforcement officials co-chaired by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, is comprised of consumer groups, law enforcement agencies and elected leaders from across the country including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. SOS advocates a "kill switch", such as featured on the latest iPhone operating system, that allows the rightful owner to wipe all data from a stolen phone, thus rendering any stolen smartphone inoperable on any network, anywhere in the world. Therefore, the incentive to steal them would be eliminated; and
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon this legislative body to add its support to such a commonsense solution, especially in the face of mounting evidence that such incidents of smartphone thefts are becoming increasingly violent; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED That we, the undersigned members of the City of Chicago City Council, gathered together on this 15th Day of January, 2014, do hereby call upon the Federal Communications Commission to expeditiously promulgate such rules and regulations in the interest of public safety that will mand...
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