Recently, Representative Joe Atkins and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar have been attempting to create and enact a universal kill switch that will deactivate stolen smart phones. A large contributor to this legislation proposal is due to the influx of crime on the University of Minnesota campus. With students increasingly being victims of smart phone robberies, it is essential for phones to have the capabilities of being deactivated and deemed inoperable. This will eliminate any incentive for theft. With the passing of this new legislation, any victim of phone robbery is gaining back control. Assailants no longer have the power and their actions are proven fruitless.

The act of stealing smart phones has reached an unprecedented amount. The theft of smart phones occur in one out of every three robberies. It is unacceptable that we have allowed this to happen. We can no longer sit back and hope for the robberies to end. We have to begin taking steps forward and minimize the actions of assailants. The kill switch is our first step. It is predicted that the kill switch will reduce the amount of smart phone thefts not only on the University of Minnesota campus, but also across the nation. Since the phone will not be operable, assailants will have less of a desire to steal them in the first place.

As civilians of Minnesota, we need to join forces and support one another. Sign this petition to show your backing of the Kill Switch Bill and know that it is a step in the right direction to eliminate these types of robberies occurring in our state.