 BBC news yesterday reported that the West Midlands Police in Dudley have just unveiled a new tool in their drive to reduce crime. The device is a four wheeled pedal powered “Digi-bike”, providing a multimedia message to passersby, broadcasting Bluetooth and video and audio messages from its screens and speakers.
One of the key crime prevention messages that the digi-bike is promoting is the registration of your valued property on the Immobilise National Property Register (www.immobilise.com).
To view the BBC video go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10947119
To read the expanded BBC news story go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-black-country-10944247
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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:
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 South Gloucestershire Police have been peddling cycle security to children in the run up to a force-wide operation encouraging people to mark their property to deter thieves.
The neighbourhood Police Community Support Officers visited Patchway Youth Club and Filton High School and helped the young people to mark their bicycles.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Steve Ives said:
Bike theft is one of the most commonly reported crimes. Bikes are worth a lot of money, so invest in a good-quality lock and use it.
Marking your bike with your postcode does deter thieves, because it means that police can prove it is stolen. You can also register it for free at www.immobilise.com, a secure property database checked by police across the country.
On Saturday December 12 2009 PCSO Rob Hendra visited Patchway Youth Club. He helped youngsters aged between nine and 13 to mark their bicycles and register them on the immobilise website.
Avon and Somerset police are encouraging people to mark their property with a day of events under Operation Relentless today (Thursday December 17 2009).
Chief Inspector Peter Warren said:
While South Gloucestershire is a safe place with low crime levels, people mustn’t be complacent about security. Most of our reported burglaries are from homes which have been left insecure.
Most thefts from cars are when property like a sat nav has been left on view, and thefts of bikes which have been left unlocked. Criminals are opportunists – let’s not give them that chance.
Officers are running bicycle marking events throughout December and January – and offering the chance to win an £150 voucher towards cycling accessories. Visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/cyclecompetition for more details. The competition closes on January 31 2010.
To read the source article in full please go to: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/NewsDetails.aspx?nsid=18902&t=1&lid=2
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 Police in Bristol are giving Christmas shoppers the gift of burglary prevention as part of the forcewide Operation Relentless day.
Officers in the new “cop shop” at The Mall Bristol, in Broadmead, are inviting shoppers to stop by and have their Christmas purchases registered on a national property database, called Immobilise.
Keith Rundle, Neighbourhood Inspector for Cabot and Clifton, said:
At this time of year people are thinking about getting the last bit of Christmas shopping done and all other things festive. But if someone was to break into your home and steal all those presents Christmas would be ruined and you would be very out of pocket.
Items that can be traced and identified are harder to sell and far less attractive to thieves, so registering on Immobilise can be a deterrent, and if the worst did happen it may help us to reunite property with its rightful owner – if recovered.
We want people to take steps to stop themselves becoming victims of burglary. Visiting our officers in The Mall Bristol or at Curry’s in Channon’s Hill and registering on Immobilise is a good start.
There are also all sorts of additional tips and advice we can give to you on other ways to make your home, and everything in it, more secure – so come and see us.
Immobilise is easy to use and completely free. It is the only national property database that will throw up results through Avon and Somerset Police’s standard checks on recovered stolen property if the items have been registered.
It is also a deterrent to thieves because items that can be traced and identified are harder to sell and can be less attractive to thieves.
To use Immobilise anyone can visit the website www.immobilise.com and open an account and put details and serial numbers of items like laptops, cameras, mobile phones and bikes into the account.
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.
To read the source article please go to: Bristol Police
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 The Wincanton neighbourhood policing team has been out delivering festive message to its residents
More than 450 homes were visited by the team who spoke to residents about what steps to take to take for a crime-free Christmas. People at home were reminded not to tempt thieves by keeping presents out of sight, making sure their house is secure and that empty houses looked occupied by leaving a television or radio on and using timer switches on lights.
The day of activity, on Wednesday 9 December, was undertaken in partnership with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service who spoke to residents about fire prevention this winter. Residents were asked to ensure smoke alarms were fitted and working, reminded not to overload power sockets and advised to check their Christmas tree lights before putting them up.
Where there was no answer at houses an advice leaflet was posted through its door.
The event was organised by Police Constable Sara Stephenson, the beat manager for Bruton. Speaking afterwards, Sara said:
Christmas is a special time for people to relax and enjoy spending time with family and friends. Becoming a victim of crime at Christmas can spoil the festive period so we have been out reminding people how to avoid being targeted this year. The message was well received by the residents we spoke to and I am confident most will act on the advice we gave.
Top tips for staying safe:
- Lock up and set the alarm in the evening as well as when you go out
- Seem in when you’re out by setting a timer switch to turn the lights on at dusk
- Post code your valuables and register them for free at www.immobilise.com – it could help convict a burglar and return your property
- Keep your keys and handbag or wallet hidden safely out of sight
- Don’t advertise your property to thieves: hide Christmas presents and don’t put boxes out for rubbish collection, bag them first
- Join or set up Neighbourhood Watch
- Call police immediately if you see anything you think is suspicious
- Make sure ladders and tools are secured otherwise a thief could use them to break into your home.
To view the source article please go to: Avon and Somerset Police Website
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ChiswickW4 has reported that a man who was found in possession of a bike that was stolen from Chiswick has today, Friday 4th December, been convicted at Isleworth Crown Court.
36 year old Hampsted resident Rocky Taylor was found riding a bike that had been stolen from outside Turnham Green Tube Station in November 2008.
When officers from Turnham Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team searched his flat, they found numerous cycles and parts.
Computer analysis linked Mr Taylor to numerous internet advertisements for second hand bikes. Some of these bikes turned out to be stolen from burglaries and from the street.
A lengthy investigation led to Mr Taylor being charged with several offences of being in possession of criminal property, to which he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
Taylor was sentenced to a total of 6 months imprisonment, which was suspended for two years. As well as this, he was ordered to undertake 200 hours community work and pay £750 costs. Taylor was also prohibited from using, buying or selling cycles and cycle parts for a period of two years.
After sentencing, PS Ben Clark of Turnham Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team, told ChiswickW4.com,
What began as a simple bike theft in Chiswick led us across London and uncovered an Aladdin’s cave of bikes and bike parts.
We will continue to target cycle thieves in Chiswick, and we will endeavour to prosecute those who trade in stolen goods. It is worth noting that the cycles we were able to return to their rightful owners quickly were all registered on Immobilise.
By registering your cycle, we are able to get it back to you and it helps us to prosecute criminals, as it can help prove that the goods were stolen and not bought legitimately.
Information on immobilise can be found on www.immobilise.com
To read the source article please go to: www.chiswickw4.com
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Posted by: Neil Stewart in CheckMEND, Crime, FoneASSIST, Immobilise, Immobilize, Immobitag, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, ReportMyLoss
The Times recently published an interesting article that is of particular relevance to the Immobilise National Property Register. Richard Ford, a Home Correspondent for the times reported that the latest recorded crime figures support the theory that the in a recession property crimes such as burglary and personal theft increase while violent offences fall.
Keith Bristow, chief constable of Warwickshire, said:
Crime has traditionally increased following periods of economic recession and the three per cent rise in domestic burglary compared to the same period last year is a reminder that we all must remain vigilant.
The Times article contains several interesting facts and statistics and can be found at:
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6885455.ece
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 In the last 6 months in Bath and North East Somerset 144 laptops have been stolen (1st April to 30 September 2009), 80 from houses and other dwellings; 24 from commercial burglaries and 9 from vehicles and the rest being general thefts. When new students arrive in the area with new high value items such as laptops, ipods and phones there is an increase in theft as the opportunity to steal is easier with students being less vigilant of their property when they first arrive.
To combat this Police in Bath have been working hard at Freshers Fayres and talking to students generally about keeping property safe. On Friday 2nd October at Bath University Freshers Fayre thousands of property marking UV pens were given out, advice given on crime prevention and hundreds of students registered their phones on www.immobilise.com, a national property register that records details so property can be returned or traced if stolen.
Sergeant Geoff Cannon part of the Community Safety team at Bath Police Station said:
A student house to a burglar can be a playground to take several high value items in one go. Students can keep themselves safe however by just following a few simple guidelines. Keep all high value items out of sight and away from windows where they can be easily seen. Secure all doors to your property at all times and know who has keys to come and go.
News article source: Avon & Somerset Police
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road.cc. the popular online cycle news site has published an interesting story concerning and expected rise in bike crime as students return to university this month.
Cambridge is one of the worst effected cities as accoring to road.cc there were 1,433 cycle thefts between January- July, prompting a police crackdown on the crime, but there is a massive increase in bikes being stolen during autumn as 30,000 university students arrive in the city.
In October 2006 and 2007, more than 300 bikes were stolen, and this compared to 140 in April 2006 and 170 during the same month in 2007 and 2008. The figure fell to around 225 last year, but due to the increase in bike thefts in other months this year police are expecting a record number this month.
Cambridge City Councillor Lewis Herbert has called for more secure areas for cyclists to leave bikes and told Cambridge News:
I hope the publicity campaign helps but I am still worried and very concerned at risk of a major outbreak of thefts in the autumn and the high theft figures through 2009.
There is organised theft across the city of bikes not locked to fixtures and the problem of new bikes and new students in the autumn. Cycle theft is probably the biggest readily reducible set of crimes in the city and as Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Julie Spence and others like me have said, it needs a far tougher set of initiatives to crack it.
Sgt Gordon Morgenthaler of Cambridgeshire Police has teamed up with Cambridge City Council and the Cambridge Cycling Campaign as well as cycle shops in the city to raise awareness about the crime, and he is asking people to register their bikes on immobilise.com.
For more interesting figures and to read the source article in full please go to: road.cc
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The Bolton News has reported that students have been given tips on how to avoid becoming victims of crime.
Police from the Bolton Central Neighbourhood Policing Team have been at Bolton University all week, marking property and registering students’ laptops and phones on the Immobilise database.
They have also been giving advice and crime-prevention tools displaying GMP’s new student safety campaign logo.
Inspector Phil Spurgeon said:
Every year, we run safety campaigns aimed at providing students with advice to prevent them becoming a victim of crime.
However, for new students in particular, crime prevention is always going to be the last thing on their minds when they are leaving home for the first time and they are likely to think it will never happen to them.
Local neighbourhood officers were on hand to meet and greet the new students and their parents, to remind them of how they can keep themselves and their valuables safe. Safety messages are also being sent each week to student’s phones in the area.
Students can follow simple steps to help stop thieves, including keeping valuables out of sight, always being aware of what is going on around them, keeping to well-lit areas and shutting and locking all windows and doors, even when they are at home.
To read the source article in full please go to: Bolton News
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BBC news yesterday reported that the West Midlands Police in Dudley have just unveiled a new tool in their drive to reduce crime. The device is a four wheeled pedal powered “Digi-bike”, providing a multimedia message to passersby, broadcasting Bluetooth and video and audio messages from its screens and speakers.
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