Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
Police tell us to dial 911 as quickly as possible when we notice that our cars or motorcycles might have been stolen, as the faster the search begins, the bigger the chances of finding them.
New-generation technology like Apple AirTags come in handy during the investigation because they help provide the location of the stolen goods. In theory, police can go directly to where the missing cars or motorcycles are hiding, getting them back and arresting the thieves.
Everything sounds easy as pie on paper, but getting help from the police is a lot more complicated.
Scotty Woods is an unlucky fellow whose Honda CBR got stolen from Pine Grove and Patterson a few weeks ago. An AirTag planted in the bike helped him retrieve its location, so he decided to go there in person and inspect the surroundings from a safe distance. He didn't plan to confront the thieves, so he went to Humboldt Park to search for the bike.
The AirTag pointed to a street where the man could see a box truck in the alley, so he believed his Honda bike was hiding inside. The next obvious step was to contact the police and tell them where they could find the motorcycle.
An officer arrived at the scene, but after less than two minutes, he walked away, telling the man there was nothing he could do. As it turns out, if the police don't see the stolen goods in plain sight, they can't help.
Now the Honda bike owner is stuck with one colossal dilemma. He knows where his bike is, but he can't do anything about it without risking his life. The police won't help either, so the man's only option is to wait for the thief to return the motorcycle after seeing the story getting more exposure (spoiler alert: they won't do that).
AirTags have become must-have devices for vehicle owners, as their small form factor makes the tracker nearly impossible to spot. By planting an AirTag paired with your iPhone in the car, you can monitor its location 24/7. The AirTag uses the Find My network, connecting to nearby iPhones to transmit its location. It uses a standard CR2032 battery that could last for months, so unless the thief finds the tracker and disconnects it, the device continues to broadcast its location as long as it can connect to an iPhone.
Police still advise everybody to contact law enforcement when they know the location of a stolen good, but this new case proves a very frustrating thing. We now have the technology to find our stolen belongings quickly but lack the legislation to get them back. And frustratingly enough, the police say they can't help.
Everything sounds easy as pie on paper, but getting help from the police is a lot more complicated.
Scotty Woods is an unlucky fellow whose Honda CBR got stolen from Pine Grove and Patterson a few weeks ago. An AirTag planted in the bike helped him retrieve its location, so he decided to go there in person and inspect the surroundings from a safe distance. He didn't plan to confront the thieves, so he went to Humboldt Park to search for the bike.
The AirTag pointed to a street where the man could see a box truck in the alley, so he believed his Honda bike was hiding inside. The next obvious step was to contact the police and tell them where they could find the motorcycle.
An officer arrived at the scene, but after less than two minutes, he walked away, telling the man there was nothing he could do. As it turns out, if the police don't see the stolen goods in plain sight, they can't help.
Now the Honda bike owner is stuck with one colossal dilemma. He knows where his bike is, but he can't do anything about it without risking his life. The police won't help either, so the man's only option is to wait for the thief to return the motorcycle after seeing the story getting more exposure (spoiler alert: they won't do that).
AirTags have become must-have devices for vehicle owners, as their small form factor makes the tracker nearly impossible to spot. By planting an AirTag paired with your iPhone in the car, you can monitor its location 24/7. The AirTag uses the Find My network, connecting to nearby iPhones to transmit its location. It uses a standard CR2032 battery that could last for months, so unless the thief finds the tracker and disconnects it, the device continues to broadcast its location as long as it can connect to an iPhone.
Police still advise everybody to contact law enforcement when they know the location of a stolen good, but this new case proves a very frustrating thing. We now have the technology to find our stolen belongings quickly but lack the legislation to get them back. And frustratingly enough, the police say they can't help.
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