City Government

OP-ED: City Needs Law Requiring Cell Phones to Be Equipped with a Safety Kill Switch

Published

12 years ago

May 7, 2014

By Supervisor London Breed

A few months ago, an 18-year-old woman—a 5-foot, 110-pound young girl really—was walking to her friend’s house on Eddy Street. It was 4 o’clock in the afternoon, when in broad daylight, an unknown man punched her in the back of the neck and, in the words of the police report, “snatched [her cell] phone from [her] hand.”

The young woman was left shaken, with a bruised neck and the vague, improbable hope that her phone could be tracked by its serial number. Her attacker made off with a fully functional stolen iPhone, worth somewhere around $200 on the street—the latest entry in what has become a lucrative global black market of stolen phones.

According to the District Attorney’s office, in 2012 more than 50 percent of all robberies in San Francisco involved mobile communications devices. According to the Police Department, crime is down across a broad range of categories in San Francisco. Homicide was down 40 percent in 2013 compared to 2012. Rape dropped 47 percent.

But auto break-ins and robberies continue to climb, and people like this young woman on Eddy Street continue to be endangered, because thieves know that smart phones and tablets are easy to steal, easy to re-purpose, and easy to sell for hundreds of dollars.

Our California State Senator, Mark Leno, has introduced legislation to combat this problem. His bill, SB962, would require all smart phones sold in California to come equipped with a “kill switch,” software that renders the phone unusable when it has been stolen.

The technology already exists. It can be implemented. And its widespread adoption will reduce, if not eliminate, the value of stolen phones on the black market. It will take away the incentive for a thief to punch a young woman in the back of the neck and snatch her phone.

I commend Senator Leno for his work on this issue, and I support him 100 percent. But in Sacramento, he is facing serious opposition from a barrage of well-funded lobbyists. About two weeks ago, SB962 lost in the state Senate by two votes.

I know Senator Leno is working hard to get the votes he needs, and I know he has made some amendments to the legislation. I am told Apple has now dropped its opposition. Hopefully SB962 will pass in California.

I want to ensure San Francisco is doing everything possible to support it, but I also want to ensure we have a back-up plan.

(This week), I am requesting the City Attorney to draft legislation that will ban the sale of any new smart phone or tablet that is not equipped with a safety kill switch.

As with Senator Leno’s bill, there should be civil penalties for sellers who violate the law. And buyers should have the right to opt-out of the kill switch feature if they choose.

If some sellers or phone manufacturers choose not to sell in San Francisco, so be it. Those who do care about public safety will have a competitive advantage in a lucrative local market.

I want to thank Senator Leno again, and thank District Attorney George Gascon for his work on this issue. I also thank President Chiu for introducing a resolution supporting SB962, which we will vote on today.

SB962 will be likely be reconsidered by the Senate this Thursday. The best possible outcome is for it to become California law. It would probably preempt or obviate my local legislation. And let me be very clear, I would welcome that preemption.

I want cell phone safety to be statewide, ultimately nationwide. But in the meantime, in the interest of public safety, and in case SB962 does not pass, we should act here and now.

And I want the telecom industry to know they are not getting out of this one. They cannot lobby their way past public safety concerns.

Sacramento does not act, San Francisco will. And other cities will follow.

Oakland Post

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Related Topics:robberies San Francisco Supervisor London Breed

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

6 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

1 week ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

Oakland Post

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

1 week ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.