Pristine York Town is handing out 500 distant Apple AirTags to support police combat an endemic of stolen Hyundais and Kias.
Mayor Eric Adams mentioned at a press convention endmost month that town, like others across the nation, has perceptible a get up in automotive thefts related to viral TikTok movies that display how one can simply scouse borrow many Hyundais and Kias the use of a USB cable and alternative ordinary equipment. The AirTags wouldn’t create stealing automobiles harder however may manage police to them later on.
“You will see the spike that we are experiencing now is a large part of what’s happening on social media,” Adams mentioned.
Pristine York Police Area officers mentioned it knew of 966 stolen Hyundais and Kias thus far in 2023, which is already greater than the 819 reported endmost life. Hyundais and Kias account for greater than 20 % of all stolen automobiles within the town.
Adams mentioned police wouldn’t mechanically be capable to monitor the AirTags being given away. A automobile proprietor must file the robbery to NYPD and provides permission to trace it. The AirTags, which price $29 each and every, have been donated via the nonprofit Affiliation for a Higher Pristine York.
Hyundai and Kia are providing tool upgrades to eight.3 million U.S. automobiles to create them much less prone to robbery. Adams mentioned in April that town deliberate to fasten ongoing litigation towards Hyundai and Kia.