Rather than even attempt to crack down on criminals, New York City will distribute a limited number of AirTags to residents to help them recover their vehicles if they are stolen, Mayor Eric Adams says.

AirTags are small tracking devices that emit Bluetooth signals to inform the owner of their location. These devices can be hidden in cars by their owners to avoid detection by potential thieves. If a vehicle is stolen, the owner can notify the NYPD, who can then track the vehicle. However, the NYPD clarifies that it will not track an AirTag without the owner’s consent.

“As soon as we’re notified about a grand larceny auto — and even if it’s days later — we can still track the car and find the person who’s driving and put a brake on what we are experiencing in this city with grand larceny autos,” the mayor said at a Sunday press conference.

The AirTags – a total of 500 will be given out – will be distributed to residents of precincts with the highest number of thefts to ensure that they are given out “equitably.” City officials say they plan to fundraise to purchase more of the devices to give to residents.

“Hopefully we recover your car undamaged, we take a bad guy off the street and you get your car back to conduct your business and it doesn’t impose on your life,” said NYPD Chief of Patrol John M. Chell.

New York City has documented 4,793 grand larceny autos already this year, an increase of almost 15% from the year before. The favorite target for criminals are Kias and Hyundais, both of which have been shown to have vulnerabilities. The city said in April that it was joining a lawsuit against the two carmakers for not equipping their vehicles with adequate anti-theft measures.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)