According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, car thefts are skyrocketing lately.
The first half of 2023 averaged 80,000 car thefts reported to law enforcement agencies nationwide per month. These cars are used by thieves as transportation, chopped into parts for resale, and even weaponized for mayhem.
While many car models use high tech methods to deter criminals from running off with your car, it can still happen.
On Monday, Jan. 8, Miami-Dade County arrested three men who were running a chop shop on a piece of residential property in the Brownsville area, as reported by News 10 Miami. On the property, stolen vehicles, some husks and others in process of being stripped, were littered behind a high fence.
Among the cars was a 2018 Infiniti Q50 with the engine already yanked out. What the crooks did not know was that there was a secret weapon hidden in the Infiniti.
For less than $30 the owner of the Infiniti had hidden an Apple Air Tag in his car, which alerted him to the location of the chop shop. Armed with this information, the police conducted a raid on the property and took the suspects into custody.
In April of 2021, Apple released the first version of the Air Tag.
The coin shaped device is about the size of a quarter and uses the same technology that can track other lost Apple products, like MacBooks and iPhones. It is powered by a CR2032 lithium battery, with an operational battery life of 3 to 12 months, depending on use.
The device is equipped with a small speaker and chirps when the user activates it. It also shows a map with the location of the Air Tag, which got our chop shop guys busted.
There are no subscription fees like other car trackers on the market, making it a good option for most people.
The Air Tag received some bad press from a few cases where they were used to track stalking victims. This led to some changes to the Air Tag software that will alert iPhone users that they have someone else’s Air Tag in their proximity.
While this is done for privacy and to prevent tracking for ill purposes, it may tip a car thief off to the game. The speaker will chirp, alerting the thief to where in the car the Air Tag is hidden.
Some users have gotten around this by opening the Air Tag cover, removing the speaker, and installing the Air Tag deep inside the car. Some owners will put a decoy Air Tag in an obvious place, like the glove box, and hide more units deeper to throw off the thieves.
Law enforcement cooperation in cases like these has been mixed. In May of 2023, CNBC reported that 500 Air Tags were given to residents of high theft areas by the New York Police Department.
Jeffrey Maddrey, the chief of police, posted on Twitter about the giveaway with a statement of “21st Century calls for 21st Century police work.”
There have been cases of vigilantism with the use of these Air Tags by owners confronting the suspects instead of calling the police. Other departments refuse to investigate the leads coming from Air Tag location reports, causing frustrations of owners.
While the Apple Air Tag is not perfect and can be defeated, it is a good idea at a less than $30 price point. It is a no-brainer for anyone with an older car or a valuable classic that has little to no theft deterrent. Just remember to pair them with locked doors and keep your valuables out of view from the windows.
As for me, I will see you on the road!
