iSteal: NYC Reports 15,627 iPads iPhones Thefts In 2012

When it comes to NYC pickpocket’s preference, it seems Apple products are number 1 on their most wanted list.

NYPD reported that thefts of Apple products such as iPads, iPhones and iPods have reached a staggering 15,627 so far this year.

That’s an increase of 33 percent from last year.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg said that the iThefts were so rampant, if you stopped counting stolen Apple products when estimating crime rates, they would actually be lower than last year.

“It’s up a touch,” Mayor Bloomberg said of the crime numbers. “But if you took out thefts of Apple products — not Galaxies, Samsungs — just Apple products, our total crime rate would be lower than it was last year.”

The mayor went as far as to single out Apple users calling on them be more conscious of their iProducts.

Bloomberg then handed out a flyer with advice on how to avoid being a victim of a iPickpockets.

“Don’t put it in a pocket where it’s easy to take out of your pocket without you noticing it,” he recommended, speaking of smaller, handheld iPhones.

“Put it in a pocket in sort of a more body-fitting, tighter clothes that you can feel if somebody put their hand in your pocket, not just an outside coat pocket.”

Police statistics showed that the single largest increase in Apple heists was from owners’ pockets and possessions.