Police Launch iPod Registry to Curb Thefts

By Nicole Martinelli (3:36 am, May 08 2009)

Police in Portsmouth, New Hampshire are setting up an iPod registry to thwart stealing. The registry covers the local high school, where staff and students reported high numbers of Apple snatching.

It works like much like bike registration: students fill out a form with a description and serial number of the device, verified by police staff at registration, and are given a sticker stating the device has been ID’d. The iPod is also photographed and the info is kept on file at the police department.

Police said the program is meant to speed up investigations and perhaps prevent thefts.

Do you think the registration will act as a deterrent?

Image courtesy Portsmouth police dept.

Via Foster’s Daily Democrat

9 comments »

About the author

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on Twitter , Facebook and Google+.

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Posted in News | Tagged: ipod crime, ipod theft |

Scott
this isn’t likely to stop any thefts, especially since that sticker can be pulled off. all it might do is if, by some odd chances, the police end up with an ipod in their hands, prove ownership and give them the right person to return it to.
Caroline
Who on earth was responsible for that hideous graphic?
http://twitter.com/pskennedySOS Peter Kennedy
Overall seems a good thing for iPod owners but as a deterrent, the police would have to heavily publicize the fact the iPod registry exists. Perhaps if they made announcements at schools and offered registration at concerts and malls and the like.
imajoebob
I think it may help, though not to any great degree. This is high school, so teens are quite tech savvy, but not very sophisticated in the gray areas of social engineering. This will likely eliminate the predominantly temptation/opportunity thief; the generally honest kid who succumbs to a too-easy impulse. The (false?) risk of being caught will deter this segment.
Using no basis-in-fact, I’ll bet it reduces thefts by 10 to 20%.
I wonder if Apple has excluded a locking code on iPods because replacement purchases are too lucrative?
grace
it might help if the sticker has a gps locator thing in it and people want to actually put the sticker on the ipod and it’s really, really hard to get off… otherwise it’s doubtful
sbimos
I wish someone would make an end-all, free, global, publicly accessible serial number database of Apple products. Even if the info is outdated, having SOME record of ownership is better than having NO record of ownership.
Will
Just a thought but…
A low cost alternative would be that Apple allows the end user to pair their iPods to their iTunes account only for any software, application, music, or video file interaction. When ever an iPod is connected to iTunes, the registration number is verified as mapped to the iTunes user’s account. If it isn’t, the iPod is locked by iTunes and can only be unlocked via a Apple Genius when brought to any Apple store by the registered owner. This action could be covered by a nominal fee charged at the store. Something much cheaper than the cost of a new iPod. Also, the owner should have the ability to decide whether or not to enable this functionality at any time during ownership. All it would take would be a few “bricked” iPods that thieves are unable to use and the theft would stop.
Ultimately, is it financially feasible or in the best interest for Apple to make any changes? No. A stolen iPod means that one more iPod will be sold at the next holiday or birthday to support the needs of their customers. And after all, Apple is in the business of providing iPods, not protecting them. That is an obligation of the end user and if the end user doesn’t see the need to safeguard their own property, why should Apple?
Canadianpj
I wish it would help but the scum that steals these has not the intelligence to understand that this is even going on. Perhaps they do not care. I am not saying it should not be done it very well may help in punishing those who do these sort of things but the punishments themselves need to be made much, much worse.
Aimireal
Registration of an iPod? Could be lucrative for the oh I say the POLICE. How many cars are stolen each year? Cars are harder to hide and sell. But I can see the police padding everyone one down searching pockets and purses for stolen iPods/MP3 players.
What the heck is the photo for? Don’t most iPods look the same?
I sorry to be so negative about this but it sounds more like a money maker for the Police and no real benefit for the public.