California lawmakers want to require 'kill switch' on smartphones
State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and other lawmakers said they plan to introduce such legislation with the support of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Chief Charlie Beck. L.A. had a 12% increase in mobile-device thefts in 2012, said the LA Times.
The theft of such devices now accounts for nearly one-third of robberies in the United States, according to the Federal Communications Commission.