New York Police Department Encourages Car Owners to Use AirTags to Deter Theft, 500 Free AirTags Available - MacRumors
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New York Police Department Encourages Car Owners to Use AirTags to Deter Theft, 500 Free AirTags Available

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The New York Police Department (NYPD) is encouraging New York car owners to install Apple AirTags in cars in order to cut down on car theft in the city.

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In a tweet shared over the weekend, the NYPD said that "the 21st century calls for 21st century policing," and that an AirTag in a car will help officers recover a car if it is stolen. An accompanying video instructs car owners to get an ‌AirTag‌ and install it in a location in the vehicle where it can't easily be found.

The video then demonstrates a car theft where the owner uses the Find My app to track the car, with the tracking information relayed to the police. Officers find the car thanks to the ‌AirTag‌ and are able to recover the vehicle and arrest the thief.


"Safe guard your car by simply putting an Apple ‌AirTag‌ inside of it," the NYPD writes at the end of the video. The ‌AirTag‌ initiative comes after a viral TikTok car theft video that caused an uptick in thefts across the United States. In the TikTok, thieves demonstrate how to get into Hyundai and Kia vehicles through an easily accessible exploit.

In an accompanying press conference on Sunday, New York City mayor Eric Adams said that the city will provide 500 free AirTags to car owners. According to CBS News, the AirTags are available to residents in Castle Hill, Soundview, and Parkchester, as these areas have seen a 548 percent increase in stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

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Top Rated Comments

N
noraa
39 months ago

“Free”

Yeah you know the cops are tracking you too if you take one of those

Why does anyone still live in NY?
Not sure you understand how AirTags work. They’re tied to your Apple ID, only you can track your AirTag (unless you give someone your Apple IR credentials - which if you’re giving the police you’re info than you’re just being dumb).

You can’t bind an AirTag to more than one Apple ID, so it’s not like the police could bind the AirTag to a NYPD Apple ID, and then give it to you and act like it’s not already bound to an Apple ID.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robbysibrahim Avatar
robbysibrahim
39 months ago

“Free”

Yeah you know the cops are tracking you too if you take one of those

Why does anyone still live in NY?


Plus if you film them steal it, track it to the hood rats dwelling, call the cops, $5 says they won’t do anything, but go 11mph over the speed limit, or don’t have one of their “inspection” stickers clogging up your windshield and they’ll be on it like flys on..we’ll NY
All of this is wrong. And I'll add, the LAPD recovered my stolen motorcycle the same day because I had an AirTag on it.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L
Little Endian
39 months ago
Despite all the obstacles that Apple implements to deter it is still possible to use an AirTag for theft tracking purposes on a car. A thief will only get a notification they are being tracked if they have an iPhone. On Android you actually have to download an app and manually check. Also depending on the situation there is a time buffer between when a thief would get tracking notification or an airtag starts making sound. A small window of opportunity to track is better than none at all.

Even if they do realize they are being tracked there are endless places to hide one that would take time for a thief to find. Hiding one in an engine bay, inside a bumper cover, take apart dash, take apart rear seat, inside trunk under the liner or in spare tire well etc. Hiding an AirTag good enough to the point where disassembly of parts of the vehicle may buy enough time for it to be located after being stolen.

If you make the AirTag frustrating to find and get to the thief may also just get spooked enough to abandon the car. In that case them knowing they are being tracked might be a good thing.

Anyhow my vehicle already has built in GPS tracking from the factory. I keep an AirTag hidden in the car for extra peace of mind.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
noraa
39 months ago

NY only does things that benefit NY

and as it stands the police don’t care about your stolen car or many of the attacks which can’t be discussed in NYC

So I wouldn’t trust it, not sure how, but nooope
Are you speaking from experience? Do you live in NY (or have lived in NY)? The NYPD are far, far, far from perfect (for so many reasons), but you’re pretty much just speaking out of your ass right now.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fenderbass146 Avatar
fenderbass146
39 months ago
Or...maybe just maybe, we could be tough on crime again instead of releasing criminals back onto the streets almost immediately.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
jclardy
39 months ago

“Free”

Yeah you know the cops are tracking you too if you take one of those

Why does anyone still live in NY?


Plus if you film them steal it, track it to the hood rats dwelling, call the cops, $5 says they won’t do anything, but go 11mph over the speed limit, or don’t have one of their “inspection” stickers clogging up your windshield and they’ll be on it like flys on..we’ll NY
You can’t even share an AirTag with an iCloud family member, no way it can be shared with NYPD.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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