Kill Switches for Stolen Cell Phones

Powers that be (not cell manufacturers or carriers) are pushing for kill switch technologies which they say will cut down on "apple picking". In some parts of the country (major metros specifically) the theft is quite high.

If the phone is a brick using the kill switch...it will have the value of a brick...not 800 bricks !

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In Australia they have had kill switch tech for a decade and guess what...no problems of the kind the carriers are suggesting (hacked phones, unable to use 911, etc).  It's just another expense for them so what do they care...right now I guess if one gets stolen it means the victim goes out and buys another one !

To me the whole idea of a kill switch is bogus. If the phone is listed as stolen, then the ESN should be banned from connecting to any network thus rendering the phone useless. It's just like with a stolen car, there's no kill switch, but try and register it when the VIN is on the Hot Sheets and you're caught.

Besides, what is so hard about finding a stolen 'GPS enabled' phone and nabbing the thief anyway?