Cell phone companies are helping police stop another sort of criminal, cell phone thieves.
Cell phone companies have come up with a way to keep people from re-using a phone if stolen.
Over the years, FOX 7 has reported people getting robbed in downtown Austin and other places just for their cell phones.
AT&T and T-Mobile have teamed up to create stolen phone databases. If you are a customer and get your phone stolen, the companies can now disable your phone so that another person cannot use it.
In the past, someone could just put a new SIM card in it and continue using it. This is in response to a push from law enforcement to help curb phone thefts.
According to APD, cell phones are one of the top items stolen in vehicle break-ins. But people do go to drastic measures to get them and sometimes people get hurt.
