The town of Washington DC will distribute free Apple AirTags to residents in sure neighborhoods, Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced Wednesday. The target: to make it simpler for the police to trace down stolen automobiles.
“We’re equipping residents with know-how that can enable the (Metropolitan Police Division) to fight these crimes, get better automobiles and maintain folks accountable,” Bowser mentioned in a press release. assertion“We are going to proceed to make use of all of the instruments we’ve got and add new ones to maintain our metropolis protected.” Native publication DCist first reported the story.
DC residents in neighborhoods with the very best charges of car theft will have the ability to obtain free AirTags at three totally different occasions across the metropolis over the approaching months, beginning subsequent week. It is unclear what number of AirTags, which value $29 every, will probably be given away.
Police will assist residents put AirTags of their automobiles and register them to their iPhones. If a automotive is stolen, residents might want to report back to legislation enforcement the placement of the automotive because it seems in Apple’s FindMy app.
DC is the second metropolis to distribute free AirTags to make it simpler to seek out automotive thieves. Earlier this yr, New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams announcement that the town would provide 500 AirTags to make it simpler to seek out automotive thieves. Since then, the NYPD has organized a number of AirTag and Tile tracker itemsspecializing in Kia and Hyundai house owners, though it is unclear if these come from the identical deal the mayor introduced.
AirTags, launched by Apple in 2021, have usually sparked controversy. The critics have mentioned that they let stalkers observe victims silently with out their information – a safety downside finally Apple handle. However the units have additionally been helpful, permitting folks to trace pets, checked baggage And stolen marketing campaign indicators.
