Vancouverites may soon be better insulated against cellphone theft, with Canada’s wireless industry preparing to lock out mobile service to phones registered as stolen.

The strategy represents a push by carriers, spurred on by police, to “blacklist” stolen devices in a move that would reduce the incentive for theft amid a rise in related crime in Metro Vancouver and across Canada.

“This new device verification process, which will deny service to any device that is on the GSMA ‘blacklist,’ is designed to help eliminate the black market for stolen devices in Canada and abroad by reducing the value of smartphones in the eyes of criminals,” said Ashlee Smith, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, an industry group representing carriers.

By Sept. 30, 2013, carriers will routinely verify whether a device’s identifier number is listed as stolen or lost before it is cleared for activation, the CWTA announced in a release Thursday.

“After comprehensive study, Canada’s wireless industry today is announcing what it believes is the best solution to help keep Canadians safe from cell phone theft,” said Bernard Lord, head of the CWTA.

Jaime Poh, now 23, had her HTC smartphone stolen from the downtown retail store where she worked last year.

“I was actually helping a customer and placed it on the counter briefly, turned, then next thing I knew it was gone,” she said.

The Surrey resident had Telus put a suspension on her account, but that wouldn’t stop the thief from activating the phone through a different provider — or selling it to someone who could do the same.

Poh said the emotional loss was as big as the financial one.

“What really bummed me out … was that I kept a lot of photos on it. It had notes that I would record on it. The phone’s almost like an agenda or diary where you can log everything,” she said.

“Obviously there is monetary value, but replacing the phone doesn’t replace any of the photos on it.”

A statement from CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais says the regulator has been concerned for some time about reports of increased crime involving stolen cellphones.

“The creation of a database to keep track of devices that have been lost or stolen, and collaboration within the industry to ensure they are not reactivated, will help to make cellphones less desirable to thieves. I would strongly encourage the industry to implement the database before September 2013 to ensure Canadians benefit from this added protection as soon as possible,” he said.

Jim Chu, head of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Vancouver police chief, had met with Bernard Lord to encourage the blacklist as a way to reduce phone-related theft and violence, said Vancouver police spokesman Const. Brian Montague.

“Obviously we’re pleased that this database will be set up, and we’re hoping it’s going to reduce the number of cellphone thefts and cellphone robberies in the city,” he said.

“Thieves always try and find a way to circumvent the system, but what we’re hoping is that this will make a big dent in what is a fairly significant trend right now.”