[compsciphd]

apple should have an anti-theft mode. Where you can't track it, but they can give access to local law enforcement to track it, and therefore wont go into stalker mode / alerting people about it.

If one is in close proximity to the device (say bluetooth), one can take it out of this mode and return it to normal usage.

[simondotau]

I don’t know where you live, but where I live, I think we have a very good police force. But I would have absolutely no expectation of them getting actively involved in the tracker sleuthing of petty theft.

[mschuster91]

> But I would have absolutely no expectation of them getting actively involved in the tracker sleuthing of petty theft.

That's actually what I would love to see cops doing! Petty theft is among the most annoying nuisances there is, particularly for tourists. And I'd classify petty thefts in tourist areas, public transport and similar hotspots as aggravated cases as well.

Honestly, it doesn't take that much work. Have the mayor announce that police will now take stolen-property claims seriously and immediately follow up on reports, maybe run the occasional sting operation themselves... and the thieves will go away somewhere else all on their own.

Yes, you might run the risk of only catching some piss poor drug addicts instead of the brokers accepting and selling on the stolen merchandise - but when the brokers can't find anyone willing to risk a mandatory year in prison for petty theft, they will have to close up shop as well.

[rjh29]

Depends on the country. Switzerland will. I suspect Japan will too