NEW YORK — The iPhone and other Apple gadgets are hugely popular —not just with techies but also with thieves.

A new report by New York police shows thefts of Apple products up in the city 40 percent compared to last year, outstripping a rise in the overall crime rate for the city. Officials say from January through Sept. 21, there were 11,447 thefts of Apple products.

A report by WABC 7 online estimates one out of every seven crimes involves the theft of an Apple product.

Police are suggesting that people keep their iPhones and iPads hidden whenever they're out in public. Police are also urging Apple owners to register their products. Officers were out over the weekend at stores around the city to help buyers of the new iPhone 5 register their phones.

The department says the theft problem is also the subject of a new ad campaign, noting that thieves often snatch devices from the hands of riders sitting near train doors or from passengers who fall asleep on trains.

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