He wants the public’s help…
Just like in many other large cities, car theft in New York City is raging out of control. Mayor Adams, the same guy who smugly reminded everyone from “flyover country” that the Big Apple has its own unique brand, recently addressed grand larceny auto problems during a press conference. But one of his remarks really caught the attention of the media and public since he encourages the use of Apple AirTags in vehicles to help with recovery efforts.
See what NYC was like in the 1930s here.
We’ve been telling people to use GPS trackers in their vehicles for some time now. Even if you have a factory GPS unit that’s active, it’s a great idea to install at least one more in your ride, especially if you have a vehicle thieves likely would want to steal. And these days that’s pretty much anything.
What’s great about the Apple AirTag is it’s small, cheap at $29, and simple to use. The only catch is you have to own an Apple device to track it and if thieves have an iPhone, they can be alerted to its presence. However, there are tutorials on how to remove the speaker from AirTags so you can make it more difficult for thieves to detect where you’ve hidden it in the car.
Adams also addressed the “TikTok trend” of kids stealing Kias and Hyundais that lack engine immobilizers. Just like in many other cities, kids are now swiping those cars at alarming rates with indications the trend is only growing. It’s gotten so bad that some insurance companies won’t cover certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles in various areas since the likelihood of a theft claim is incredibly high.
While the police try to deter theft, Adams is right that the citizenry has the responsibility to help with that as well as tracking down their vehicle if it is stolen. With such cheap technology readily available, using something like an AirTag only makes sense.
