Apple’s AirTags have been used to track users’ vehicles ever since they debuted, and now police departments are handing them out to battle vehicle theft.
CBS Colorado reports that the Arvada, Colorado police department’s recently held and event to offer the provide free AirTags, as well as other brands of tracking tiles, to local vehicle owners.
The program is an attempt by Arvada police to decrease the number of auto thefts in the area. The first such tracking tag giveaway recently took place, and police have another planned for the near future.
The giveaway also includes a sticker that can be placed on a vehicle, informing potential car thieves that the vehicle is equipped with a tracker and that police will be able to track the vehicle if it’s stolen.

Authorities didn’t specify how many AirTags police had been purchased by the police, although they did announce that they gave away half of the available trackers at the first event.
One local resident who has been a victim of auto theft, said that he was all for the program. “Hopefully it’s a deterrent, you know, with the stickers they provide for somebody stealing my vehicle,” he said, “and if it does get stolen, it’s very good… so I’ll get my car back.”
Hiding a police-provided AirTag in your vehicle doesn’t automatically allow police to track your vehicle whenever they want to. Tracking is only available to the vehicle owner, via Apple’s “Find My” app, which is available on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Users with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, respectively, can share the location with police if it goes missing.
The Arvada, Colorado police department is just the latest police department to offer AirTags to vehicle owners in their jurisdiction. Over the last few years, both the Washington D.C. and New York City police departments have handed out AirTags to vehicle owners in high crime areas.