Apple Teams Up With NYPD to Combat iPhone and iPad Theft
Apple and the New York City Police Department are forming a new partnership in order to combat the iPhone and iPad theft issue in the NYC area.
The California-based company will team up with the NYPD to locate stolen iPhones and iPads by keeping track of every device's International Mobile Station Equipment Identity. Every device has these codenames or numbers and iPhone owners will need to remember and keep it in their records in case their handset is stolen.
If a theft is committed, the victim will have the opportunity to report it to the police and give them the ID number. This number will then be sent to Apple who has the ability to track the location of the stolen device, even if it was re-registered with a different wireless provider.
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This is good news for NYC residents since the theft of Apple devices has been a growing issue within the city. In 2012 alone, there were 3,890 reported thefts of Apple products in NYC. Apple's previous approach to the problem was to not be involved; however, it caught a lot of criticism for that course of action.
The company never had a centralized database of stolen devices and even ended up repairing or replacing units that were stolen under the owner's warranty. This became problematic and Apple has decided to make a change. It is unclear whether or not this theft prevention will be for just the NYPD, or if it will be available to customers in other cities.
Apple products are quite expensive so the company not assisting people who have had them stolen could be a deterrent for those looking to purchase a new iPhone or iPad.
