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14 May 2008
The UK’s leading technology designers met with the Home Secretary this week to discuss ways of using design to protect teenagers from crime – particularly the theft of mobile phones and MP3 players.
The event, hosted by the Design Council, represented the first time that senior designers from leading technology firms have joined with young people, youth workers, branding experts and police to develop MP3 players and mobile phones specifically designed to protect young people from becoming victims of crime.
Their aim is to create a clear business opportunity for manufacturers to develop a generation of crime-safe gadgets.
97% of young people carry gadgets
Research published by the council on behalf of the Home Office, shows that the vast majority of 11-16 year olds in England carry at least one gadget.
The data also shows that:
- 97% carry a gadget with them
- 85% frequently carry phones
- 35% carry an MP3 player
- 12% of those surveyed have been the victim of gadget theft in the last three years
- 31% of victims were listening to music on headphones, talking on a phone or texting, or playing on a games console when the crime occurred
Smart designs stop crime
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith pointed out that young people are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators. And she proposed to extend the British Crime Survey (BCS) to include surveys of under-16s’ experiences of crime.
'The role that good design can play in cutting crime is well established but success depends on effective partnerships between government, the police and the design industry,' she said. 'We have made a clear commitment in last year’s crime strategy to bring design into the centre of our fight against crime; to receive such strong support from our partners is extremely encouraging.'
Police recorded crime figures show that robbery has fallen by 7% since 2002, but the numbers show a 21% drop since last year, when the government worked with the mobile phone industry to block stolen phones from use.
Similarly, anti-crime design (including immobilisers and central locking systems) has cut vehicle crime by 50% over 10 years.
Addressing a thorny problem
Design Council Chief Executive David Kester said, 'Armed with original research including observations and ideas from young people, we are bringing together manufacturers and technologists with designers and other experts.
'Our objective is simple – to look at the thorny problem of hot product theft through the design lens and come up with some new ideas.
'After all that is what design does – it taps our creativity in order to help solve problems.'
