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Big Apple To Apple Customers: Watch Your iDevices!

This article is more than 10 years old.

English: NYPD Dodge Charger #2909 in midtown Manhattan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you crave the latest iPhone or iPad? You're not alone, the thieves want to get their hands on them too, or more specifically, the ones that you've bought and paid for.

The NYPD has released crime figures which show that thefts involving Apple products are up this year a whopping 40 percent compared to the same period last year. What's even more shocking is that this has resulted in a 4 percent increase in overall crime in the department's beat.

Here is some of the data released by the NYPD (via gothamist):

  • Between January 1 and September 23, there were 11,447 incidents in which Apple products were stolen; an increase of 3,280 over the same period last year, or an increase of 40%.
  • The total number of index crimes year-to-date is 79,335, an increase of 3,015 over the same period last year, or an increase of 4%.
  • The increase in incidents involving the theft of Apple products exceeded the increase in overall crime incidents of crime by 265.
  • When broken down by crime category, the theft of Apple products so far this year represented:
    -          204% of the 1% in overall increase in burglaries, an increase of 250 burglary incidents overall, an increase of 511 incidents in which Apple products were burgled;
    -          160% of the 4% increase in robberies overall, an increase of 606 robbery incidents overall, an increase of 968 incidents in which Apple products were robbed;
    -          69% of the 9% increase in grand larcenies overall, an increase of 2,600 grand larcenies overall, of which 1,803 involved Apple products.

While this data applies only to the NYPD region, I wouldn't get complacent anywhere. Crime is crime, and it doesn't follow state boundaries.

Best defense is to stay alert and vigilant, and keep you electronic device -- Apple and others -- out of sight. It's also a good idea to have Find My iPhone -- or an Android equivalent -- switched on, but don't use this information to go on a vigilante raid to get your stuff back -- you're not Charles Bronson! -- just hand the data over to the authorities.

And remember, if you are attacked, it's safer to just hand over your kit. Stuff can be replaced, lives cannot.

With the iPhone 5 going on sale last week, we can only assume that the thieves are going to be busy over the coming weeks and months.

Stay safe out there.