Another US city wants to fight car thieves with AirTags
Even if Apple doesn't plan to: Another American metropolitan police force is hoping to use AirTags to prevent car theft.
"Car" with AirTag: Not actually designed as anti-theft protection.
(Image: Masarik / Shutterstock)
The use of Apple's Bluetooth and ultra-wideband trackers from the AirTag series to combat property crime is becoming increasingly popular in the USA: After a medium-sized city in Colorado, the metropolis of Denver, with its 700,000-plus inhabitants, has now also started using them.
Campaign with as many as 450 trackers
According to a statement from the Dever Police Department (DPD), 450 AirTags and some Samsung SmartTags were handed out free of charge to interested parties, as reported by the IT blog Gizmodo. There is also a special program called "DenverTrack", which can be used to provide the DPD with vehicle data in advance.
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"DenverTrack registration authorizes the Denver Police Department to work with the GPS information provided by the vehicle owner when a vehicle is reported stolen," the department writes. However, location data is not initially transmitted; this comes from the victim as soon as an accident actually occurs. To deter thieves, there is also a free "This vehicle is protected" sticker.
Victims work together with the police
The aim of the campaign is to involve vehicle owners who may not have the 20 to 30 US dollars that an AirTag costs. "In the unfortunate event that a vehicle is stolen, the vehicle owner is responsible for providing the location of their vehicle to arriving officers," says the authority. Access must then be granted.
Previously, in addition to the first city in Colorado, New York City and Washington D.C. had also already pointed out the use of AirTags against car theft or issued some free pieces to citizens. It is interesting to note that the AirTags are actually being used for a different purpose. Apple itself always emphasizes that the trackers are tracking devices, not anti-theft devices. The company has taken anti-stalking measures that could attract the attention of thieves. In the context of lost luggage, however, Apple is now working directly with airlines, which can even be given very easy access to location data. This should enable them to find suitcases more quickly if necessary.
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