
According to new data from the New York Police Department (NYPD), the rising theft of devices such as the iPhone and iPad remain one of the driving forces behind the high amount of grand larcenies in New York City last year. In detail, the data showed that Apple products were involved in 8,465 thefts and made up for 18% of all grand larcenies in the city, which rose 13% overall in 2013 from the year prior. The following was mentioned regarding the data:
Apple products are so popular among criminals that the NYPD specifically tracks thefts of that brand, officials said. In 2013, Apple products made up more than 18% of all grand larcenies—that is more than 8,000 devices, according to police. In 2002, there were 25 grand larcenies of Apple products, police said.
A spokeswoman for the company said Apple has "led the industry in helping customers protect their lost or stolen devices" since it launched its "Find My iPhone" app in 2009, which allows users to track a stolen phone and erase personal data remotely.
A spokeswoman for the company said Apple has "led the industry in helping customers protect their lost or stolen devices" since it launched its "Find My iPhone" app in 2009, which allows users to track a stolen phone and erase personal data remotely.
The San Francisco district attorney, George Gascón, and New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, have spearheaded anti-theft efforts, called Activation Lock, the “world’s first attempt to implement a technological solution to the global smartphone theft epidemic,” while the police department distributed flyers near Apple Retail Stores encouraging users to download iOS 7, boasting its security features.
Furthermore, the New York City Council also previously announced that it was considering a pawn shop bill that would require second hand dealers and pawn brokers to maintain easily accessible electronic records of purchased items, however the status of the bill remains unknown as of right now. Notably, a national phone database established last year was found to be largely ineffective against smartphone thefts in the US with law enforcement authorities even pressing smartphone manufacturers to build a kill switch into phones.
We’ll have to see what future efforts are made to help resolve the issue, which appears to be growing.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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