1 In 3 London Kids Victim Of Tech Theft

The technological era is one that has been embraced by children, bullies, and muggers alike. While happy slapping hasn’t hit the headlines as much in recent months, the Guardian recently reported that as many as one in five kids in London have been attacked for their MP3 players and mobile phones.

It’s little surprise to learn that many children (approximately two thirds, in fact) carry more than £100 worth of electronic equipment. Clearly, you can’t expect somebody to leave their portable MP3 player or their mobile phone at home so something needs to be done. The Guardian article goes on to quote Lorraine Gamman (director of the Design Against Crime center) as saying that the “mobile phone companies have actually benefited from crime because lots of people just upgrade their phones.”

Of particular interest to me was the list of ways to “Design Out Crime” with perhaps the most intriguing being the Lanyard. The Lanyard, to the unknowing, is a form of garrote that is attached around the child’s neck with the target of theft attached to the other end like a tantalising handle for the opportunist.

Of course, this report probably means that the iPod Tazer and the Nokia Screech software are only months away from production by now.