As someone who recently purchased the iPhone 5, I can tell you first hand that this nifty little gadget has truly changed my life in nearly every aspect, including the way I search for information, get directions to unknown locations and even communicate through face-to-face interactions with my closest friends. However, as I live in New York City I have long been warned not to openly play with my smartphone in public or risk it being taken right from my little hands by someone looking to make a quick buck.

It seems the memo of keeping your Apple accessories like the iPhone and iPad away for prying eyes hasn’t been passed onto the masses as just today it was revealed the NYPD has now formed a task force which has a job to strictly reduce these types of thefts currently taking place. According to the New York Post, in an effort to reconnect users with their beloved devices tracking numbers from the stolen accessory are being attained and then sent directly to police officials who in turn send it to the company behind this glorious innovations, Apple of course.

The technology leader then lets these officers know exactly where the stolen item is located. If the phone or tablet was newly activated under a different provider, the police unit will quickly be informed of this tidbit of information as well.

“We’re looking for ways to find individuals who have stolen Apple products and return the products to their original owners,” said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne in a statement. “It is being done to learn the pattern who is stealing.”

Not only could this effort help to cut down the amount of people being attacked for their next-generation product, but it could actually catch these robbers in their tracks. In a recent scenario, an iPad that was taken was found in the Dominican Republic by an officer operating out of Santo Domingo.

While the Big Apple is arguably the greatest city in the world, other cities like Stamford, CT are also seeing a rise in Apple-related theft. I recently wrote a story that shed light on a report in which Stamford Police Capt. Rich Conklin said smartphone kidnappers are so excited to get their hands on the iPhones that in some cases, they are even leaving without their getaway vehicle, which in the crimes in this region is almost always a bicycle. 

 With nearly 40 attacks already taking place, some things are appearing to be common in each and every one of the incidents—the victims are women and the phone is always made by Apple.

“Since the phone is in use, they can get right into the factory settings and reset the whole phone right away. So therefore, that disables all GPS tracking that we usually use to track these phones. So it disables the tracking device and therefore they go off to the black market and sell these things on the black market,” added Stamford Police Lieutenant Diedrich Hohn.

Would you openly count your cash in front of people on the street? Probably not, and these gadgets are worth a hefty chunk of change when resold, so your best bet is to keep in under wraps until you are safely at your place of residence.