Jacqui Smith met with senior designers, young people and police to look at how manufacturers can develop crime-safe gadgets.
Research published by the Design Council on behalf of the Home Office, shows that 97 per cent of 11- to 16-year-olds in England carry at least one gadget.
The survey also found 12 per cent of young people have been the victim of gadget theft in the last three years, with 31 per cent of victims listening to music on headphones, talking on a phone or texting, or playing on a portable games console when the crime occurred.
Smith said good design can cut crime but success depends on effective partnerships between government, the police and the design industry.
"We have made a clear commitment in last year's crime strategy to bring design into the centre of our fight against crime and to receive such strong support from our partners is extremely encouraging," she said.
