urces in recent months to the problem. That included a weeks-long investigation that was announced last month and that resulted in hundreds of recovered cellphones and multiple arrests. But Lanier said "that's just not enough, not in a crime as complex as this one is." Major cellphone carriers covering roughly 90 percent of U.S. subscribers are participating, said Chris Guttman-McCabe of CTIA-The Wireless Association, an organization representing the wireless communications industry. Participating carriers include AT T Inc., T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint Nextel Corp. and Nex-Tech. More are likely to join as implementation continues, he said. "We moved very quickly and we tried to set a really aggressive time frame. Different carriers have different resources," he said. Sprint said in a statement that it has already taken several steps to deal with the problem, including restricting further voice, text and data use on a phone when a customer reports it stolen,toms outlet. It said the FCC's industry-wide initiative is consistent with the company's mission. The database behind the effort will record unique identifying numbers of stolen cellphones. Carriers that receive a report of a stolen device would be able to use the database to shut the device down before it can be reactivated by a thief or other user. Officials hope the database will be running within six months, and that the system will be rolled out globally over 18 months The goal is to render stolen cellphones useless, drying up the market for them and removing the incentive to steal them. "What we're announcing here today will make a stolen cellphone about as worthless as an empty wallet," said Sen. Charles Schumer, who called smartphones "catnip for criminals" because they're valuable, exposed and easy to steal. Schumer, D-N.Y., is sponsoring legislation that would make it a federal crime to tamper with smartphones' unique identifying numbers. Still, the FCC says smartphone users need to be careful too,toms shoes. Some tips: Consumers should never leave devices unattended in a public place. They should write down the phone's make and model,cheap toms, serial number and unique identification number in case it's stolen. These may be on the device itself, possibly under the battery, or stored digitally on the phone. Consumers can also protect data on a phone by creating a password. Consumers can consider displaying contact information on the screen that shows up when a phone is idle and locked. That way, someone finding a lost phone can reach its owner. New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said cellphone thefts have been a persistent problem in the city even as other crime has dropped in the last decade. In December, his department announced the arrests of more than 140 people in a sting operation against small merchants who buy stolen iPhones and iPads. Kelly likened the new approach to "draining the swamp to fight malaria." Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ. An insider's guide to politics and p Related articles:

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