Avon & Somerset Police have launched an unusual crime awareness & immobilise registration campaign for Christmas. Reported by the Bristol Evening Post, shoppers can learn how to stay safe this Christmas with the help of a mocked up crime scene.
Avon and Somerset Police have transformed an empty shop unit in The Mall Bristol, Broadmead, into a rather unusual information centre.
Experts from Bike UK, the Safer Bristol Partnership and the police will be on hand to advise members of the public on all safety issues, from bike locks and seasonal burglary to late night transport and drink and drug awareness.
One of two large window displays will contain a crime scene for members of the public to investigate. The other will be have a bike security theme. Police will be urging shoppers to register presents like laptops and bikes on the national property database, Immobilise.
The database is used by police to trace the owners of suspected stolen property.
If the items are ever stolen the account holder logs on and marks them as stolen. They will then be flagged up on the national database as stolen when checked by retailers or police forces.
There will also be the chance to win a Saracen mountain bike, free T-Shirt printing with the police’s Streetwise team after school on December 9 and 16, and balloons to fingerprint and take home.
PCSO Warren Vincent-Rodgers from the Broadmead and Cabot Circus police team came up with the idea for the shop.
He said:
We tested the shop in The Mall last year with great success, speaking to more than 1,000 Bristol residents about all sorts of security and safety issues.
You can’t really have a more striking window display than a crime scene, and with so many TV programmes getting children and adults interested in this area of work, it’s a fantastic opportunity to see at first hand the techniques CSIs use to find clues and help solve cases.
Everyone is invited to note down their theory of what happened and will be entered into a prize draw.
It should make a welcome distraction from Christmas shopping.
The shop will open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, on Thursdays until 7pm, and on Saturdays until 3pm. For more on immobilise go to www.immobilise.com.
To read the source article please go to: www.thisisbristol.co.uk
 No Comments »
South Yorkshire Police have reported that a stolen mobile phone that had been registered on the national UK database, Immobilise has resulted in the arrest of a man in Doncaster.
A Twenty five year old man was arrested on Tuesday, 28 September for being drunk and disorderly in the Town Centre.
He was brought into the police station by Acting Police Sergeant Sharon Wood and PC Steve Roberts from the Town Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team. They checked his mobile phone against the Immobilise database and it was identified as being stolen. He admitted he had stolen the phone from a pub in Thorne last year, which when they checked had been reported to the police at this time. He was charged with theft and drunk and disorderly behaviour.
Police are hoping this result will encourage more people to register their belongings with Immobilise. It is the UK’s national property register, which allows people to create secure and private portfolios online for their personal property.
It is not just phones that can be registered any belongings that have a serial number including electrical items such as televisions and cameras can all be registered.
Inspector Jakki Hardy said:
We hope this result will encourage people to register their property on the Immobilise database. If this phone hadn’t been registered it would have been very difficult to know it was stolen and reunite it with the owner.
Police officers in Doncaster have also been targeting shops across Doncaster including CEX, Cash Generator and small mobile phone shops to check for any stolen mobile phones. Officers use scanners to scan the barcode on the back of the phones, which retrieves data from the IMEI number, and states if the phone is lost, stolen or blocked.
Inspector Jakki Hardy added:
Registering goods also acts as a deterrent to opportunistic thieves as they are unable to sell stolen property as easily if it has been registered. We will continue to do these checks and identify any stolen property.
To read the source story in full please go to: South Yorkshire Police
No Comments »
 In the last few months there has been a major improvement in the way recyclers ensure they are not handling goods that are deemed not to be in the hands of the rightful owner. They do this by consulting the CheckMEND database as part of their checking process and if they discover certain facts about the phone they have a legal requirement to act in a predefined manner which you should be aware of.
What are these facts?
If any of the following records exist for the item you are sending to a recycler:
- A block by the UK networks on the Shared Equipment Identity Register (SEIR) also known as the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)
- A loss or theft report on the Police Stolen Equipment National Database (SEND)
- A fulfilled insurance claim on the Identifiable Property Insurance Database (IPCD)
Then the recycler has an obligation under their Code of Practice to do certain things:
- They must tell you there is a problem and give you the details on how to contact CheckMEND so we can tell you which records are present and how you may go about getting them updated to allow the sale to proceed.
- They must tell CheckMEND about the failure to pass the testing so that CheckMEND may inform the Police, Insurer or Network that originated the record.
- They must hold the phone for 28 days to allow you to get the records updated or the record originator to claim the item or contact you.
- If at the end of the 28 days the records have not been updated or the phone claimed as above, the recycler is deemed to be the legal owner of the handset and is required to dispose of the item responsibly.
- The recycler CANNOT in these circumstances return the item to you or pay you for it. To do either would risk offences under The Theft Act or Proceeds Of Crime Act.
How can you protect yourself?
- If you are buying a used item, always ask the seller for a CheckMEND certificate or run a check yourself before buying.
- Always run a check on CheckMEND before you send an item to a recycler or otherwise try to sell it on.
- If you get a red result on any of the checks shown on the certificate DO NOT send the phone to a recycler until you have got the records updated and the check shows the phone as green, at which point you can send in the item.
- Sometimes, unscrupulous sellers will supply an item and only weeks or months later report it as lost/stolen or claim on their insurance. This is rare but in this case, your item could fall foul of the above rules after you had a green CheckMEND check and sent it to a recycler. If you are refused payment for your item in this manner as a result of a block, theft report or insurance claim CheckMEND will refund to you the cost of the check. (Not the cost of the item).
If you would like more information on the Recyclers’ code of practice please visit their web sitehttp://www.stoprecycledstolenphones.com
To visit CheckMEND please go to: www.checkmend.com
To read the source article please go to: www.checkmend.com/uk/recycle
1 Comment »
Posted by: Neil Stewart in CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, ReportMyLoss
 Today July 23rd it was officially agreed that CheckMEND would be the first approved due diligence service to be used and officially endorsed under a new Home Office/recycling industry code of practice.
The signing of the new code of practice by over 90% of the mobile phone recycling industry means that for the first time there are agreed guidelines for the checking of handsets offered for sale to the industry and this includes using the CheckMEND service to check the National Mobile Phone/Property Register.
Adrian Portlock CEO of Recipero the operator of CheckMEND said:
This is a major step forward for the industry and CheckMEND and we are really pleased the industry has recognised their responsibilities in checking products they are buying, this model needs to be extended to all handlers of used goods and retailers taking trade ins and we will be pushing for this to be the case, but this is an excellent start.
For more information please see the following sites:
No Comments »
 As festival-goers gear up for this year’s Glastonbury Festival police in Avon and Somerset are offering some final tips and advice for a safe and crime free event.
Every year Avon and Somerset Police work closely with the festival organisers to ensure the event remains largely crime-free and a safe environment for all festival-goers.
Crime at the festival is generally low and the crime that does occur can be easily prevented. Police advise festival-goers to leave valuables at home and only take essential items to the festival with them.
If you do have to take valuable items with you make use of the free property lock-ups throughout the site and don’t leave anything valuable unattended in your tents. Register any valuable items on the Immobilise database before you leave for home so that if anything is lost or stolen police have a better chance of reuniting you with your items if they are recovered.
While out watching your favourite bands make sure you have your phone and wallet secured tightly away. Experience shows that it’s in big crowds and ‘mosh pits’ close to stages that the thieves are more likely to target you.
Personal safety and illegal substances: No matter what myths you may have heard about police having a policy at Glastonbury of allowing people to smoke cannabis or take small amounts of other drugs, it is not true. Police have a zero tolerance policy to illegal substances and will be relentless in combating drug-related crime.
The law at Glastonbury is exactly the same as any other city, town or street in the rest of the United Kingdom when it comes to possession and use of an illegal substance. If you are found to be in possession of drugs at the festival you face arrest and prosecution as well as eviction from the site.
Contacting police at the Festival: Finally, if at the festival you do need to contact officers, the best thing to do is visit the 24-hour police station on site at the Festival. This is situated to the north of the festival site along with the other emergency services.
If you need to contact police in an emergency however always call 999.
Officers will be patrolling the site throughout the festival offering a reassuring and highly visible presence and are more than happy to chat to festival goers about their concerns. Officers will be loaded with crime prevention freebies to give away to festival-goers throughout the event.
To receive updates from the police during the festival on anything from traffic problems to beat surgeries then register for text alerts by texting ‘GLASTO’ to 81003. Everyone who registers for alerts will be entered into a prize draw to win a Sony PSP (full terms and conditions available on the police’s Glastonbury microsite – www.glastonburypolice.org).
To register on the Immobilise Database follow these instructions:
Key *#06# on your phone’s keypad to view your IMEI number.
Register by text: Then text REG followed by your IMEI number to 83010 – and Immobilise will reply with your account details and instructions. You will be charged a one-off 25p charge for the return text message.
Alternatively; register online: Visit www.immobilise.com and register for free.
To read the source article in full please go to: http://www.glastonburypolice.org/news/Details.aspx?nsid=20720#nsu-1
No Comments »
Posted by: Neil Stewart in Bikes, CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Immobilise, Immobitag, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, ReportMyLoss
Recipero’s CheckMEND service in conjunction with the Police’s NMPR system has proven to be a key tool in the identification and prosecution of crimes related to stolen goods.
On the 14th May, a man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for handling stolen goods. Alexander Smith, aged 40, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court after a two year investigation conducted by Avon and Somerset Police’s burglary team and crime reduction unit in Bristol.
Officers were able to prove that Smith had been knowingly buying stolen mobile phones by utilising an online system known as CheckMEND. This system allows members of the public to check if a mobile phone is stolen before buying it.
Police searched a shop in East Street, Bedminster and identified more than 20 phones that were stolen from victims in both burglaries and robberies, many of which had occurred in the South Bristol area. A stolen pedal cycle was also found at Smith’s home address.
During one of these incidents, a female victim positively identified her stolen phone in Smith’s shop. Smith then demanded £40 from the victim before he would return her phone.
PC Frank Simonds, from Bristol Crime Reduction Unit, said:
The use of CheckMEND technology now allows the police to prove if stolen phones are being bought and sold by second hand retailers.
We will be relentless in our pursuit of those dealing in stolen goods.
Many phones that were proven to be stolen had been registered by owners on the Immobilise database. Registering phones enables the police to return them to their rightful owners.
Members of the public can register their phone for free by visiting www.immobilise.com
Members of the public can check if a mobile phone is stolen by visiting www.checkmend.com.
Retailers can receive advice on protecting their business from handling stolen goods as part of Operation Recover run by Avon and Somerset Police.
To read the source release in full please go to: Avon & Somerset Police
No Comments »
Merseyside Police Community Support & Traffic Officers (PCS&TO’s) Derek Johnston and Natalie O’Neill were manning a police pod at Maghull Central Square last month, giving shoppers the opportunity to register their mobile phones with the National Property Register called Immobilise.
Natalie O’Neill said:
This means that if your phone is lost or stolen it will be easily identifiable and can be returned to its rightful owner.
Derek Johnston said that the day had proven well worthwhile:
We were getting roughly 20 people an hour visiting the pod to register their mobile phones. In fact, the event went so well that we have decided to organise an other Immobilise event in the Melling area in a few weeks time.
Merseyside Police are urging people to make their mobile phones less attractive to would-be thieves by immobilising them.
Merseyside Police has adopted the Immobilise system – a property-registering scheme that aims to make life as difficult as possible for thieves. The aim of the scheme is to encourage members of the public to register their mobiles on the National Mobile Database.
As part of a crime prevention initiative, PCSOs from Maghull are encouraging people to bring along their mobile telephones to Maghull Police Station for registering.
To read the source story in full please go to: Merseyside Police
No Comments »
 Thames Valley Police are continuing to encourage residents to protect their property and register valuables on Immobilise.com, the UK National Property Register.
The website is a free database, which is used by all police forces across the UK to help them return stolen property to rightful owners.
Register your personal property at www.immobilise.com so that, if your valuables get lost or stolen and police recover it, you’ll get it back. It could also help police officers to get the burglar or robber convicted.
It takes a few minutes to complete the registration, allowing you to create a free, private and secure portfolio of all your personal property.
Inspector Sean Hodgson, Force Crime Reduction Manager, said:
We are continuing to urge residents to register their property, it only takes a few minutes to register and if your property is stolen and recovered there is a greater chance of it being returned.
Becoming a victim of crime is an incredibly upsetting experience for people, especially if personal possessions such as cameras or mobile phones are stolen with irreplaceable photos of loved ones and phone numbers of family and friends.
We are asking residents to help us and help themselves by registering all their valuables on the Immobilise database. People can register any item with a serial number.
Police officers may then be able to return any items they find to their rightful owner. It may also enable officers to secure a successful prosecution.
Thames Valley Police is currently running an initiative specifically tackling burglary, called Operation Breaker. This Forcewide campaign received a £143,000 funding boost from the Home Office on 28 December as the national ‘Operation Vigilance campaign gets underway. Operation Vigilance aims to tackle and prevent burglary and personal robbery.
To visit the Thames Valley Police website please go to: www.thamesvalley.police.uk
No Comments »
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: PLEASE NOTE THAT AS DATA FROM TRACE IS CURRENTLY BEING INTEGRATED WITH OUR SYSTEMS WE RECOMMEND USERS ALSO RUN A FREE SEARCH ON TRACE (www.trace.com) WHILST THE WORK IS COMPLETED.
CheckMEND the world’s largest due diligence service which is owned by Recipero is delighted to announce the recent acquisitions of two US centric businesses, the Trace due diligence system and PhoneHistoryReport the stolen phone checking service. The data from both businesses will be incorporated into the CheckMEND service over the next few weeks.
Both services will complement the existing CheckMEND service providing millions of new records to the CheckMEND website. Of particular note is that the acquisition of Trace will allow CheckMEND to access stolen property data from over 18,000 US law enforcement agencies vastly expanding their reach in the US market. Adrian Portlock CEO of Recipero commented:
These two acquisitions are strategically very important to us as we look to replicate the huge success of CheckMEND in the UK and Europe in the USA. We are already talking to a range of organisations who wish to use the new enhanced CheckMEND service in the US and we are very excited about the potential opportunities this provides to the US consumer buying and selling on sites such as EBay and Craig’s List.
6 Comments »
Were you lucky enough to receive a new mobile phone, MP3 player, Sat Nav, bike or other valuables this Christmas? If so, Merseyside Police is urging you to make them less attractive to would be thieves by immobilising them.
Merseyside Police have adopted the Immobilise system – a property registering scheme which aims to make life as difficult as possible for thieves. The aim of the scheme is to encourage members of the public to register with the Immobilise website (www.immobilise.com), a simple process which takes just a few minutes.
The website allows users to register their personal possessions on a secure database free of charge. If any lost or stolen items are recovered by police, officers can retrieve the owner’s details from the website. They can be returned to the owner with, in the case of theft, a better prospect of a successful prosecution.
The Immobilise website is linked to the National Mobile Property Register, a national police database of registered property ownership and stolen property records.
Chief Inspector Stuart Ellison comments:
Being a victim of crime is awful at anytime, but the impact can often be greater at Christmas, particularly if gifts are stolen. Registering items on the site only takes a few minutes and it may help you become reunited with your property if it is stolen or lost.
The NMPR is searched thousands of times a day by forces across the UK and it is used routinely by Merseyside Police.
Merseyside Police advise taking the following precautions with items such as mobile phones and MP3 players:
- Be aware of your surroundings, and conceal items if you feel uneasy.
- Never leave your property unattended, keep it on you, not near you.
- Be particularly vigilant whilst travelling home from school or college and when leaving railway stations or other public transport locations.
- Finally, register your property for free at www.immobilise.com
Basically, you can register anything with a serial number – simply log onto www.immobilise.com. Then if any item of registered property is stolen, report it to the Police and, in the case of a mobile phone, for example, give police your IMEI number, inform your service provider and tell them to block both the SIM and handset. You should then update your online Immobilise account.
To read the Merseyside Police news article in full please go to: www.merseyside.police.uk
2 Comments »
|
Entries (RSS)