The New York Police Department (NYPD) encourages New York car owners to install Apple AirTags in cars to reduce car theft in the city.


In a tweet shared over the weekend, the NYPD said that “the 21st century demands 21st century policing” and that an AirTag in a car will help officers recover a car if it is stolen. An accompanying video instructs car owners to obtain an AirTag and install it in a place in the vehicle where it cannot be easily found.

The video then shows a carjacking in which the owner uses the Find My app to track the car, and the tracking information is passed on to the police. The officers find the car thanks to the AirTag and are able to recover the vehicle and arrest the thief.

“Safely protect your car by simply placing an Apple AirTag inside it,” the NYPD writes at the end of the video. The AirTag initiative comes after a viral car theft video on TikTok that caused a spike in thefts in the United States. On TikTok, thieves demonstrate how to break into Hyundai and Kia vehicles through an easily accessible exploit.

In an accompanying press conference on Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city will provide 500 free ‌AirTags‌ to car owners. According CBS News‌AirTags‌ are available to residents of Castle Hill, Soundview and Parkchester, as these areas have seen a 548 percent increase in stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

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