New York Police Department officers have discovered an Apple AirTag hidden under their car’s hood. The department hasn’t as yet tracked the AirTag back to its owner.
The New York Daily News reports the marked NYPD cruiser was patrolling the Queens borough of New York City when the device was found. The report did not indicate how the device – which was found under the vehicle’s hood, sealed in a small plastic bag – was discovered.
The AirTag’s anti-stalking feature likely alerted the officers to the tracker’s presence. The feature sends a notification to nearby iPhones when an AirTag is near.
“Please keep a heightened state of vigilance, in light of the anti-police sentiment we have seen not only here, but across the US,” NYPD Chief of Housing Martine Materasso reportedly told officers. “Continue looking out for each other and be safe.”
Last year, Apple said the company was working with law enforcement to avoid “unwanted tracking” via AirTags.
“AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said in a February statement.
(Via AppleInsider)