IN WHAT appears to have been a well thought out resolution moved in the House of Representatives, Andrew Holness, JLP MP for West Central St. Andrew, has urged Government to pass legislation which would help to cut down on a rash of cellphone thefts, many of them unreported.
Part of the convenience of cellphones is that they can be used from any number of locations by law-abiding citizens to keep in touch with family and friends as well as conduct legitimate business transactions. The criminal elements in the society also have the capacity to use them for nefarious purposes tracking car-jacking victims and persons who have just withdrawn money from a bank, planning escape routes after the commission of a crime, alerting confederates on the location of road blocks and police patrols. As the instruments become more sophisticated and expensive, the theft of cellphones adds another dimension as to how a society tries to deal, for better or worse, with new technology.
Still fresh in the collective memory of the nation is the stabbing deaths of two teenagers who refused to hand over their phones to robbers. The motive for stealing cellphones, even at the cost of innocent lives, is that the thief will be able to enjoy the benefits of his criminal confiscation and the purpose of Mr. Holness' initiative is to thwart such temptation. He proposes that legislation be passed obliging service providers to keep a database of all cellphones sold by them so that in the case of theft, ownership of particular phones can be established and the stolen instrument shut down remotely. Some service providers may be reluctant to support such a call because of added costs to their operation but, given the crime rate in Jamaica, clearly the national interest must come first.
The proposed legislation would be of great help to the police in tracking down those who kill, rob and run. We commend Mr. Holness on his thoughtful initiative which appears to have the support of both Government and Opposition judging from the reaction in the Gordon House chamber. Any dent in the fraternity of crime, no matter how small, must surely be welcomed.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
