One of the things that happens to stolen iPhones is: they get sold by thieves to other people. This has been curbed by things like the Find My iPhone feature, which is awesome, and helps one find their iPhone. Regardless, it still happens. So what do the fair and just police of New York City do to curb the theft and re-sale of iPhones?

If you answered ‘Fight crime and intimidate thieves into the idea that they will inevitably be caught,’ you’re wrong.

If you answered ‘Entrap low-wage workers as they purchase other people’s stolen gear even though they know it’s stolen,’ you’re right.

Via the New York Post, of course:

Undercover NYPD officers walked into stores in all five boroughs and offered merchants the electronics – asking $50 to $200 for iPhone 4s and iPad 2s – clearly stating that the popular gadgets were stolen. The stings began Tuesday and continued through today, and followed decoy operations in the subways to catch the thieves that steal electronics from straphangers. Most of the stings yielded one arrest, though at some locations two merchants were arrested and one location near 178th Street and Fort Washington Avenue netted six people.

For the record, as you could imagine, these aren’t exactly high-income neighborhoods. Regardless, the entire tactic seems a little…exploitative? Entrapment-happy? Then again, having your iPhone stolen sucks. So there’s that.

New York City is generally shady on the whole, is the point.

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

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