If you live in Colorado, this is kind of nifty.
The Denver Police Department has begun distributing free AirTags for motorists to hide in their vehicles as part of an effort to help reduce auto thefts. Apple’s AirTags have regularly become the key for police recovering stolen cars and making arrests, due to being given the location of the tracker.
The department has begun offering either a free Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag in their vehicle. As part of the initiative’s launch, Denver Police will provide 450 free trackers between March 19 and March 21. Vehicle owners can register with a form, detailing the vehicle’s particulars and information about any built-in GPS tracking or third-party tracking devices inserted into the vehicle. A report is then generated, with an email provided to the vehicle’s owner to confirm the registration and a permanent case report number. Drivers will also get a DenverTrack decal sent through the mail, which can be placed in the vehicle’s window.
Drivers who don’t have a tracking system built into their vehicle and don’t own an AirTag or SmartTag can sign up in advance for an in-person registration event. The AirTags and SmartTags are provided by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. Should a car be stolen, the owner can call 911 to report the theft, and confirm it was registered under DenverTrack. The police will then work with the driver to either access the built-in tracking system or the aftermarket AirTag or tracker. While the registration “preauthorizes the Denver Police Department to work with GPS information” provided when a vehicle is reported as stolen, it doesn’t grant automatic access to the vehicle’s location. Officers are unable to see the location of the AirTag until it is shared by the owner.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and denvergov.org