Cell phones are going to become far less likely to be stolen in the future.  The big manufacturers are now producing a so-called kill switch on the phones which is a software application that allows you, once your phone has been stolen, to lock down your phone and the phone can only then be reactivated with the correct password or pin number.  

That of course removes any market value of the phone, because it becomes a paperweight for the papers on your desk and can no longer be used as a phone and it should bring thefts right down.  This would take time to implement, but some of the phones have only recently had these applications installed but six months after Apple introduced its activation lock, iPhone robberies have fallen by 24% in London and by 38% in San Francisco.  During that same time frame thefts of Samsung phones went up 51% leading to Samsung introducing a kill switch for its Galaxy S5 device in April.  Consumer bodies do hope though that the cell phone companies take this a step further and that instead of making the device an optional added extra, that it is automatically activated, as at the moment it is not, even on those phones that have the option.  On the iPhone you set this up by downloading the Find my iPhone Application.