Anti-theft plan will disable stolen cellphones

A plan to deter cellphone theft by disabling stolen phones was scheduled to be announced Tuesday by Sen. Charles Schumer and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.

The two were to announce that the major cellphone carriers in the United States and the Federal Communications Commission have agreed to set up a database of unique cellphone identifiers, known as International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers, to allow cellphone companies to permanently disable stolen cellphones. The numbers are akin to the vehicle identification numbers on autos.

The plan to disable stolen phones seeks to disrupt their sale by thieves on the black market. Currently, phones bought on the black market can be reactivated with new SIM cards -- the storage component of the phone -- and under new accounts.

Schumer is also introducing legislation making it a federal crime to alter or tamper with a phone's International Mobile Equipment number.

The announcement caps a months-long effort by Schumer and the NYPD to fight the growing problem of cellphone theft, especially of expensive iPhones and smartphones.

The theft of expensive cellphones is on the rise nationally, authorities say. People using the devices in public, including students and subway riders, are most at risk.

Last month, four students at Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale were robbed of their cellphones in a single afternoon. One student who resisted was punched in the face, police said.

The system to be announced Tuesday, which is scheduled to be fully operational in 18 months, is being used in Europe, Schumer's office said.

A statement to be released quotes Kelly as saying, "With the press of a button, carriers will be able to disable phones and turn highly prized stolen property into worthless chunks of plastic." It quotes Schumer as saying, "Our goal is to make a stolen cellphone as worthless as an empty wallet."

CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group, said last night, "These voluntary industry commitments . . . will effectively address this issue while continuing to evolve as new wireless products and services become available."

With Ellen Yan