Have no fear — the Apple corps is here!
A swarm of cops will be on hand at Apple Stores and cellphone retailers throughout the city for the release of the iPhone 5 today, as the NYPD launches an operation to curb rampant theft of the coveted smartphones.
As part of “Operation ID,” cops will be stationed in 21 locations selling the thinner, faster new iPhone — six Apple Stores, seven Verizon shops and eight AT&T retailers — to register serial numbers and contact information for owners in case the devices are stolen.
“The theft of Apple phones and other hand-held devices drove the spike in robberies and larceny this year,” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said yesterday.
“Individuals alert to their surroundings are less likely to become victims, and Operation ID will help those whose property is lost or stolen to get it back.”
Customers seeking extra protection can get their devices engraved with a unique serial number prefaced with the letters “NYC” so the phones can be immediately recognized if stolen or lost — all on the NYPD’s tab.
And the procedure will not be exclusive to the iPhone 5.
“You can register any electronic product at any time at any precinct,” a police source said yesterday. “Tomorrow’s goal is to register iPhone 5s, but you would not be turned away if you brought something else,” he said.
The move is the NYPD’s latest effort to curtail rip-offs known among thieves asrip-offs of Apple devices known among thieves as “Apple picking,” which by August of this year had already surpassed 2011’s numbers by more than 50 percent — fueling a rise in grand larcenies by more than 10 percent, NYPD records show.
More than 4,174 Apple devices had been reported stolen by last month, up 55 percent from the 2,696 cases reported last year, records show.
Meanwhile, dozens of diehard Apple fans were camping outside stores around the city yesterday to get their hands on the iPhone 5 when as soon as it goes on sale at 8 a.m.
“This isn’t just about the phone for me. It’s all about the experience — camping out here, hanging out, meeting new people,” said Keenen Thompson, 22, fourth in line at Apple’s Fifth Avenue store.
“We actually take turns,” said Joshua Chinchilla, 23, who has been camped out since Monday and is ninth in line. “I’ll get off around 4 p.m., sleep in our car across the street, then get back in line again.
Additional reporting by Doug Auer and Matt McNulty