Denver Police Department Offers Complimentary AirTags to Prevent Auto Thefts
Denver's police department is doling out free Apple AirTags and Samsung SmartTags in a program called DenverTrack, aimed at combatting car theft, as per a Tuesday press release. Over three days from March 19-21, they'll give out 450 trackers.
By signing up for the program, you're essentially granting the Denver Police Department the license to work with GPS data when your vehicle is reported stolen. But fret not, authorities clarify, they aren't gaining access to your AirTag location data directly. Instead, this initiative empowers you to track your own vehicle's theft using a budget-friendly gadget typically retailing for around $20-30.
Upon a vehicle theft, the vehicle owner is tasked with providing the tracker's location to the responding officers. To accomplisch this, you reach out to your GPS service provider or access the Bluetooth tracker app on your phone and share the live location with the officers. In certain scenarios, officers might collaborate with victims to gain real-time updates from the tracking service.
To get your hands on one of these freebies, head over to the Auto Theft Prevention section of Denver's website and click on DenverTrack Registration Events. It'll provide options for vehicle registration, and drivers will need to sign up for a timeslot on March 19, 20, or 21 between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to physically attend one of six district stations. You'll need to bring your vehicle registration details and the phone you'll be using for tracking purposes. Volunteers will supposedly be on hand to help anyone struggling with the AirTag or SmartTag pairing with their phone. No walk-ins are permitted.
In case you miss out on the free AirTag, you can still join the program. Once your car is registered, a DenverTrack decal will be sent to you via USPS. It's recommended that you stick it in the lower driver's side window. The decal alerts potential thieves that your vehicle is enrolled in the program and will be traced if stolen. A reasonable concern is that this visibility could alert the thieves to look for the tracker in the vehicle once they've gained access.
The Denver police department teamed up with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) for this Bluetooth tracker program, which debuted in 2023. The full budget for the program isn't immediately available, but the police department has boasted progress against car thieves, with auto thefts dropping 33% compared to the previous year, subsequent to a 29% decrease from 2023 to 2024.
- In 2023, the Denver Police Department launched a program called DenverTrack, in collaboration with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA), to distribute free Apple AirTags and Samsung SmartTags to combat car theft.
- By signing up for DenverTrack, residents are preauthorizing the Denver Police Department to work with GPS data from their vehicles in case of theft, without directly accessing their AirTag location data.
- In the future, if your vehicle is reported stolen, you will use a GPS service provider or the Bluetooth tracker app on your phone to provide the tracker's location to the responding officers.
- If you cannot attend the free event to receive an AirTag or SmartTag in March 2023, you can still join the program by receiving a DenverTrack decal via USPS, which you should put in the lower driver's side window to indicate your vehicle's enrollment in the program.
