Did Apple Anticipate This Problem?

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS 6 enhancements to its Find My iPhone app appear to have been timed perfectly, at least for its users in New York City. According to latest data from the New York Police Department, Apple product theft now accounts for 14 percent of all crime in the city. And even though NYC’s overall crime rate rose just about four percent this year, Apple product theft has grown as much as 40 percent.

The NYPD, which is encouraging new buyers to register their devices with the police, said it received over 11,447 reports of stolen Apple products this year from January 1 to September 23, according to Bloomberg. “Our emphasis on prevention and investigation of Apple thefts stems from the fact that they are a magnet for crime, including robberies, driving the spike we’ve experienced this year,” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

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Apple’s latest mobile operating system offers a Lost Mode, which helps the user locate and take steps to protect a missing device through the Find My iPhone app. The missing iPhone or iPad can be locked with a four-digit pass code through iCloud and can also be sent a message displaying a contact number.

The iPhone 5, some units of which were reported stolen from stores in Japan and the U.K. when it went on sale last week, is selling for quite a premium on sites such as eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY). Demand for the new device continues to exceed the initial supply, with some experts and analysts blaming the issue on component shortage. Apple announced more than 5 million iPhone 5 devices were sold in the first three days of the phone going on sale in the U.S. and several other countries.

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