Airtags or Tile tracking devices can track your luggage, wallet, or dog. Apple does not recommend the latter because dogs habitually eat things that aren't food, and the batteries in the tracker are hazardous if ingested. The Arvada Police Department in Colorado wants people to use them to track their cars, so they are giving them away.
The department held an event and gave away Airtags or Tile trackers to members of the community. They also distributed stickers with the message "Warning — Tracker Equipped: This vehicle can be traced by police if stolen!" The department will hold another giveaway in April.
These trackers are an imperfect solution for tracking stolen vehicles, as they work by connecting to another device via Bluetooth. Nevertheless, even if the local police department isn't giving them away, they are cost-effective, and the owner of the tracker has sole control over it. Services like Onstar have a monthly fee and are a privacy minefield. Also, the idea of a thief's phone giving up a stolen car's location is very satisfying.
Previously: 10-year-old steals car and drives it through playground