World Courant
Town of Washington DC will distribute free Apple AirTags to residents in sure neighborhoods, mayor Muriel Bowser introduced on Wednesday. The goal: to make stolen vehicles simpler for the police to trace down.
“We’re equipping residents with expertise that can enable the (Metropolitan Police Division) to handle these crimes, get better automobiles, and maintain individuals accountable,” Bowser mentioned in an announcement, “we’ll proceed to make use of all of the instruments we have now, and add new instruments, to maintain our metropolis secure.” Native publication DCist first reported the story.
DC residents in neighborhoods with the very best numbers of car theft shall be eligible to get free AirTags at three completely different occasions within the metropolis over the following few months, beginning subsequent week. It is not clear what number of AirTags, which price $29 a pop, shall be given away.
Law enforcement officials will assist residents put the AirTags of their vehicles and register them on their iPhones. If a automotive is stolen, residents might want to report the situation of the automotive because it seems in Apple’s FindMy app to regulation enforcement.
DC is the second metropolis handy out free AirTags to make discovering automotive thieves simpler. Earlier this 12 months, New York Metropolis mayor Eric Adams introduced that the town would give away 500 AirTags to make discovering automotive thieves simpler. Since then the NYPD has held a number of AirTag and Tile tracker giveaways, specializing in Kia and Hyundai house owners, though it is unclear if these come from the identical provide introduced by the mayor.
AirTags, which Apple launched in 2021, have typically sparked controversy. Critics have mentioned that they let stalkers monitor victims silently with out their information — a security challenge Apple finally addressed. However the units have additionally been helpful, letting individuals preserve monitor of pets, checked baggage and stolen marketing campaign indicators.
Reside in Washington DC? You may have the ability to get free AirTags to your automotive
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