New York City Experiencing Rapid Growth In Apple Thefts

For a place known as The Big Apple, New York City doesn't seem to be a place that's friendly to Apple users. The New York Police Department has reported that crimes involving Apple products have increased by 40% over the last year, which is a rate increase that's 10 times more than the overall crime rate increase of 4%.

There were a total of 11,447 Apple-related thefts between January 1 and September 23, which is an average of almost 43 thefts per day of Apple products alone. That's quite a big number, but this is New York City we're talking about, which has a population of over 8 million people.

The NYPD stationed officers at 21 Apple stores in New York City on September 21 when the iPhone 5 went on sale. They were there to help owners register their new devices so that they could be traced if they were stolen. About 1,500 iPhones were registered that day in New York City. No thefts of an iPhone 5 have been reported yet.

Police want Apple product owners, as well as owners of all fancy electronics, to be more aware of their surroundings and keep a better eye on their property. That way, they'll be less likely to become a victim of theft. The NYPD also released this PSA on YouTube, simulating some common theft situations that could occur to you if you're not paying attention:

[via Bloomberg]