NYPD urges residents to purchase AirTags to battle surge in automotive thefts

The New York Police Division (NYPD) and New York Metropolis’s self-proclaimed computer geek of a mayor are urging resident automotive house owners to equip their automobiles with an Apple AirTag. Throughout a press conference on Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams introduced the distribution of 500 free AirTags to New Yorkers, saying the know-how would support in decreasing the town’s surging automotive theft numbers.

Adams held the press convention on the forty third precinct within the Bronx, the place he stated there had been 200 situations of grand larceny of autos. An NYPD official stated that in New York Metropolis, 966 Hyundais and Kias have been stolen this yr to this point, already surpassing 2022’s 819 complete. The NYPD’s public crime statistics tracker says there have been 4,492 automobile thefts this yr, a 13.3 p.c improve in comparison with the identical interval final yr and the most important improve amongst NYC’s seven main crime classes.

Adams, as the town did when saying litigation towards Kia and Hyundai on April 7, largely blamed the rise in automotive thefts on Kia and Hyundai, which he stated are “main the best way” in stolen automotive manufacturers.

Hyundais and Kias had been the themes of the Kia Problem TikTok pattern that inspired individuals to jack stated automobiles with a mere USB-A cable. The subject has graduated means past a social media fad and right into a severe concern. Adams, for instance, pointed to stolen vehicles as a gateway to different crimes, like hit-and-runs. It may also be harmful; 4 youngsters in upstate New York died throughout a joyride with a stolen Kia final yr. And a few insurance companies even stopped taking new insurance coverage insurance policies for some Hyundais and Kias. In February, Kia and Hyundai issued updates to make the vehicles more durable to raise.

Adams was adamant grand larceny auto numbers had been dragging the town’s general crime numbers up and urged New Yorkers to “take part” within the battle towards automotive theft through the use of an AirTag.

“It’s quite simple,” he stated of AirTags. “The charging life lasts a very long time, and you may see in actual time the place that automobile is positioned.”

On Twitter, NYPD Chief of Division Jeffrey Maddrey stated customers who report a stolen automobile outfitted with an AirTag will see the police use “drones, our StarChase know-how & good previous style police work to securely get better your stolen automotive,” referring to the StarChase GPS shooter the NYPD introduced it will use to trace vehicles.

“Assist us aid you, get an AirTag,” he tweeted.

Since Sunday’s press convention, the town and NYPD have additionally shared messages encouraging primary automotive theft safety, like locking your automotive and never leaving your keys or fob inside.

The Affiliation for a Higher New York (ABNY), a nonprofit based by New York actual property developer Lewis Rudin within the Seventies and liable for the “I <3 NY marketing campaign,” paid for the five hundred AirTags. ABNY’s board includes executives from numerous firms, together with Google, Con Edison, and the late founder’s Rudin Administration Firm. Apple is not listed amongst its many member firms.

“We will be partnering with different entities within the metropolis to additionally result in that kind of donation from not solely our company companions, however those that want to play a task in coping with the grand larceny autos we’re seeing within the metropolis,” Adams stated.