District police, in an effort to rein in rampant car thefts in the city, are offering tracking tags for vehicles to residents in hard-hit neighborhoods.
Police will be distributing the Apple AirTags free of charge at specific sites next week, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday, with the hope that real-time data about a particular car’s location will make it easier to find and arrest thieves.
Close to 7,000 cars have been taken in the District during either car break-ins or carjackings in 2023, according to Metropolitan Police data.
That includes over 5,900 motor vehicle thefts and over 830 violent car thefts. Both crimes have seen major year-over-year increases, with motor vehicle thefts up 101% and carjackings up 107%.
“Information about the vehicles’ whereabouts can help our detectives … lead to the identification and the arrest of those committing these crimes,” acting Police Chief Pamela Smith said Wednesday. “What we know is individuals that are involved in this type of criminal activity often commit multiple offenses and a single arrest can help bring closure to multiple cases.”
The AirTags will be distributed Tuesday through Thursday based on the police service area where people live, but those PSAs generally align with well-known neighborhood boundaries.
Each distribution event will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, police will be giving out the AirTags at 100 I (Eye) St. Southeast.
Residents in Navy Yard, the southern part of Capitol Hill and the multiple neighborhoods that run south of Pennsylvania Avenue SE are eligible for the device.
On Wednesday, the tracking devices will be handed out to people who live in Edgewood and Eckington at 1309 5th Street Northeast. Those who live in NoMa and to the immediate south and west of Gallaudet University can also pick up their trackers at that location.
On Thursday, the tags will be distributed east of the Anacostia River at 3200 Pennsylvania Ave. SE in the rear parking lot. People living in neighborhoods such as Greenway, Benning, Fort Dupont, Penn Branch, Fairfax Village and Naylor Gardens are all eligible to get tags from there.
The AirTags are for personal use — so MPD won’t have access to your car’s location data unless you share it while making a complaint.
But people who do take advantage of the giveaway shouldn’t expect police to begin pursuing a car thief once they report the crime.
Metropolitan Police’s stringent no-chase policy prevents officers from going after suspects unless the person presents an imminent risk of death or serious injury to themselves or the public.
Where exactly that line is drawn is unclear, but Chief Smith said traffic violations rarely meet the standard needed to initiate a chase.
Both Mayor Bowser and Chief Smith were mum about how many AirTags they had stockpiled for the giveaway.
D.C.’s top cop also said MPD consulted Denver police about their strategies to cut down on stolen cars. Colorado’s capital city has seen roughly 10,000 auto thefts so far this year, with a large share taking place at the Denver International Airport.
The city is giving out free dashboard cameras next week to ride-share and delivery drivers as part of an effort to gather more video evidence to turn over to police in the event the drivers are victims of a crime.
Over the summer, the city handed out steering wheel locks to people who drive older model Hyundais and Kias.
The cars became a favored target of thieves after the Kia Boyz challenge on TikTok taught crooks how to hot-wire the vehicles by using only a screwdriver and a USB cable. There’s been a nationwide explosion in car thefts since 2021 when the social media trend first became popular.
“We always want our residents to be able to be empowered to help themselves as well,” Ms. Bowser said.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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