Denver Police Share Free AirTag To Reduce Car Theft

Denver Police Department launched a new program called DenverTrack (photo: x @spazio_hd)

The Denver Police Department launched a new program called DenverTrack which aims to reduce cases of car theft in the city. As part of this initiative, vehicle owners in Denver can get AirTag or Samsung SmartTag for free to hide in their cars. This helps the police in tracking the stolen vehicle.

The program is based on AirTag's effectiveness in helping police rediscover the stolen vehicle and arrest the perpetrators of the crime. So far, the tracking device from Apple has been widely used by vehicle owners as a means of recovery when their vehicle was stolen.

A total of 450 tracking devices will be distributed free of charge between March 19 and 21, 2025. For vehicle owners who want to get an AirTag or SmartTag, they must register via the form provided, list information about their vehicle. In addition, it also states whether they already have a built-in tracking system or a third-party tracking device. After that, they will receive a registration confirmation email and a permanent case report number.

In addition to tracking devices, vehicle owners will also get a DenverTrack sticker that can be attached to the car window as a sign that the vehicle is registered in this program.

If the car registered in the program is stolen, the vehicle owner can immediately contact 911 to report the theft and confirm their vehicle has been registered in the DenverTrack. The police will then cooperate with the vehicle owner to access location data from the built-in tracking system or AirTag devices installed in the car.

However, the police do not have automatic access to the vehicle location without the owner's approval. Location information can only be shared if the vehicle owner actively shares it with the police.

Although this program sounds effective in reducing vehicle theft, caution is still needed in its use so that fatal errors do not occur. In January 2022, an incident occurred in which Denver police attempted to track down a stolen truck using the Find My feature of the iPhone 11 inside the vehicle. Unfortunately, inaccurate location data led to raids by the flight team at the wrong house, which was inhabited by a 77-year-old grandmother.

The error led to a lawsuit, and the court ruled the city of Denver had to pay $3.76 million in compensation to the victim.

With the DenverTrack program, it is hoped that vehicle owners in Denver can be calmer and protected from theft, as well as assist the police in handling vehicle theft cases more quickly and effectively.