Category Archives: Crime

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, NMPR, Police

Immobilise helps Hull bike shops and police crackdown on cycle theft

The Hull Daily Mail has reported that bike  shop owners are joining forces with police to tackle the scourge of cycle theft. Participating stores are encouraging people that purchase new bikes to register them on the online Immobilise National Property Database.

If the bike is stolen and recovered, police will be able to check the database via their NMPR system and return it to its owner.

Chris Hardy, Hull’s secondhand dealers officer, said:

Cycle stores have been quick to embrace the opportunity to support the police with this initiative, which is a fantastic opportunity for their customers to get their cycles registered on Immobilise before they leave the store.

By increasing the number of cycles registered online, I hope we can reduce cycle thefts in the city, as thieves will be reluctant to take property that is identifiable and can lead to prosecution for stealing the cycles or even handling stolen property.

As well as cycles, other property can be registered by the public on to the system once an account has been set up.

Bike theft has been rising in the city with an increase in shed and garage break-ins.

Ainthorpe Primary School pupil Grace Horton, nine, was reunited with her beloved bike three days after a burglary at her family’s home in West Hull. It had been stamped and added to Immobilise during an event run by police at the school.

Her mum Julie said:

She was inconsolable when I told her it had been stolen, even when I said I would buy her a new bike.

She said she just wanted her old one back.

Grace’s bike was found dumped outside a house three days after the break-in last month. The occupant called the police, who checked the their systems and realised it belonged to Grace.

Miss Horton said:

She was absolutely over the moon when the police said she could have her bike back.

I am so pleased she had it stamped, otherwise we never would have seen it again.

For more information please visit:

The Immobilise Property Register: www.immoblise.com

The Humberside Police website: www.humberside.police.uk

For the source story please go to: www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-bike-shops-crackdown-cycle-theft 

 

CheckMEND, Crime, eBay, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police

CheckMEND helps Police return phone after it is spotted on eBay

The Metropolitan Police have reported that a mobile phone that was recorded as being stolen in Croydon has been returned to its owner after police managed to track it down when the phone was sold on eBay.

The victim, a 32 year-old woman, reported to police that her phone had been stolen in Croydon town centre on Monday, 10 March. Initial enquiries failed to identify any suspects, as the shop’s CCTV had not recorded the incident.

However, police received an alert via their NMPR system that the phone’s IMEI number had been checked by somebody using the CheckMEND service – a service that allows people to see if a phone has been reported stolen or been blocked.

Through further enquiries, officers managed to identify that the phone had been put up for sale on the auction website within hours of if being reported stolen. Officers eventually identified the seller and on Thursday 17 April a 29-year-old woman was subsequently interviewed by police. She claimed to have found the phone in the town centre and decided to sell it on. She provided officers with the details of the person to whom she had sold the phone, and after further enquiries, the police were able to retrieve the phone from the buyer and return it to the owner on 17 April.

The 29-year-old woman was cautioned for the offence of theft by finding.

PC Robert Sidney from the Broad Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team, who investigated the case said:

This case highlights two important points. Firstly, if you’re buying a phone second-hand or over the Internet, then it is definitely worth checking to see if it has been reported stolen. You can do this through the CheckMEND website and whilst there is a small fee, it could save you a lot of money later on.

Secondly, whether you find a phone or any other expensive item or gadget in the street, then you could be committing an offence by simply keeping it. You should contact police or attend a police station to hand it in. If it doesn’t get claimed by the owner then it will be given to the finder, but if you just keep it then you could be committing a criminal offence.

To view the source stories please see:

MET Police: met.police.uk/News/Stolen-phone-returned-to-owner-by-police

Croydon Guardian: croydonguardian.co.uk/news/

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero

Lancashire police launch CheckMEND safe seller scheme

SafeSeller-scheme-poster-lancashireA new scheme aimed at preventing stolen goods being sold by second-hand shops was launched in Preston at the start of April.

The online CheckMEND service allows shops to search the National Mobile Property Register and other sources when purchasing items to find out if the item has been reported as lost or stolen. If this proves to be the case, the Police can then work to reunite the property with its’ rightful owner as well as taking the appropriate measures against whoever has tried to sell on lost or stolen property for their own financial gain.

In addition, second-hand shops in the area also receive regular alerts about items that have been reported as lost or stolen from across the county via Lancashire Police’s In The Know messaging system. Shops taking part in the scheme can be identified by the distinctive posters on display in their windows proclaiming them as a Safe Seller.

This scheme has been set up in conjunction with Preston City Council’s Licensing team, who along with the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC) has funded the purchase of transaction books to help shops when they are purchasing items.

CheckMEND’s ‘Safe Seller’ scheme is established in other towns and cities nationwide, and has already had some success with several arrests being made and numerous items of property being recovered and returned to their owners, including a mobile phone which was stolen during a burglary in Scotland.

PCSO Stephen Connelly said;

The CheckMEND system has already been proved in other areas of the country, and really does help to ensure shops are not selling on stolen goods and putting money into the hands of criminals.

Therefore, I would encourage Preston’s second-hand shops to sign up to the scheme, and our residents to vote with their feet and use the second-hand shops in Preston signed up to the Safe Seller scheme, so we can make Preston’s shops the most trusted in the area and ones which criminals cannot use to benefit from their illegal activities.

Councillor Robert Boswell, Preston City Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said;

This new CheckMEND scheme is a great way for people to buy with confidence and be reassured that the products they are buying are legitimate and not stolen.

We would ask all traders in Preston that sell second hand goods to sign up to the scheme so that both they and their customers do not become victims of crime by unwittingly selling on stolen goods.

CheckMEND is successfully run in other parts of the country and we are pleased that people in Preston are now able to buy goods more safely as a result of the scheme.

Neil Stewart from Recipero, the provider of the CheckMEND system, said;

CheckMEND is used by thousands of businesses throughout the UK, helping them avoid criminality and the costs associated with it.

Recipero has always worked closely with police to address mobile phone crime and the CheckMEND Safe Seller Scheme is a key part of our commitment to tackle this ongoing issue.

For more information please see:

Lancashire Police: www.lancashire.police.uk

CheckMEND: www.checkmend.com 

The Police NMPR: www.thenmpr.com 

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, NMPR, Police

Durham Police launch cycle theft campaign

DurhamInfinity4Durham Police have launched  ‘Operation Spoke’ a initiative aimed at reducing bicycle theft across County Durham & Darlington.

As part of Operation Spoke Durham Constabulary will be working closely with local cycle retailers,  Immobilise.com and other organisations to introduce a bicycle marking scheme to property mark and register bicycles in County Durham and Darlington.

The aim of the scheme is that every new cycle sold will be marked and registered to their new owner. Current bicycle owners can also attend their local cycle retailers, police stations and other cycle marking events to have their cycle(s) marked and registered under the scheme.

Crime Prevention Officer PC David Williamson said:

This really is a fantastic opportunity for anyone wishing to protect their bicycle, a simple yet highly effective method of preventing a bicycle from being taken and it takes only a few minutes.

All customers who sign up to the scheme will be asked to complete a registration document, details provided will then be put onto a database so that Police can check the identity of cycles to identify them and to target bicycle thieves.

The officer launching the initiative, Det Supt Kevin Weir said:

The key benefit of the scheme is that should a bicycle be stolen it will be easy to identify by police. This means a stolen bicycle will be easy to return to a rightful owner.

I am also hopeful that the introduction of this scheme will be a deterrent to bicycle thieves. The message I want to send out is simple; if you are buying a new bicycle for Christmas this year or indeed into 2014, please register it with your retailer as part of Operation Spoke. Our aim is to get as many bikes as possible registered under the scheme, reducing the opportunity for bicycle theft across our force area.

People are asked to contact their local neighbourhood policing team, police station or cycle retailer for further information about the scheme.

To view the source story please go to: www.durham.police.uk

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Recipero

Recipero launches CheckMEND Charter to cut cell phone crime

Recipero, the global experts in device-led data and analytics solutions, today have announced the launch of the CheckMEND Charter.

The CheckMEND Charter was created as a means of establishing an industry-led set of best practices to prevent trading of stolen consumer electronics. In addition to protecting consumers and helping to avoid confusion and frustration, Charter participants pledge to actively help law enforcement agencies combat theft and fraud related to consumer electronics.

Several of the US’s biggest consumer electronics retail, reCommerce and recycling companies are already operating in accordance with its principles, including the leading trade-in site Gazelle.

Gazelle was the first US consumer electronics trade-in site to deploy CheckMEND and continue to demonstrate their commitment to the consumer and industry through their involvement with the Charter and its creation.

Israel Ganot, CEO, Gazelle.

“When we first entered into a partnership with Recipero to leverage the CheckMEND tool, our goal was quite simple: to prevent thieves from benefiting from stolen consumer electronics, the new CheckMEND Charter takes this a step further, not only ensuring that Gazelle will never pay a consumer for a device that has been reported as lost or stolen, but to also ensure law enforcement agencies can more effectively combat consumer electronic device theft.

The CheckMEND Charter is a voluntary scheme, open to trade users of CheckMEND who agree to abide by its principles. In support of the Charter and its members, Recipero’s experienced CheckMEND team act as a trusted third party to help troubleshoot any issues that consumers may encounter with devices that are rejected.

Mark Harman, CEO of Recipero, commented:

“The adoption of the US Charter is something we have been working toward for several months. Our experience of the implementation of similar schemes in the UK has demonstrated that voluntary codes of practice such as this Charter have a measurable impact on mobile device related crime, results that we believe can be replicated in the US.”

More details on the requirements for Charter members is available online: www.checkmend.com/us/charter.

CheckMEND is delivered online in real-time and is a cutting-edge analytics tool used to more accurately detect lost and stolen consumer electronics. The database is the most complete listing of devices available, comprised of data from major wireless carriers and law enforcement entities globally.

The CheckMEND service assists everyone from eBay users to mega retailers and recyclers like Gazelle to avoid lost, blocked and stolen devices.

 

About Recipero

Recipero (www.recipero.com) is trusted by thousands of clients and data providers to securely aggregate, analyze and interrogate data. Forming part of millions of decision making processes and transactions every month, Recipero’s device-led data and analytics solutions are provided online, in real-time, and are used globally by law enforcement, wireless carriers, insurers, recyclers, retailers and consumers.

About Gazelle

Gazelle is the nation’s leading consumer electronics trade-in site, providing an easy, fast and safe way for consumers to get cash for their unwanted devices. For more information on Gazelle and its participation in the CheckMEND Charter, visit: www.gazelle.com

 

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Don’t let burglars ruin your Christmas

Avon & Somerset Police want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

Chief Superintendent Jon Stratford who is in charge of burglary for Avon and Somerset Police said:

Over the Christmas period we’ll be working hard to keep you and your property safe. Please do your bit to help us.

After you’ve done your Christmas shopping, if you’ve bought any gadgets for your family and friends then make sure you log anything with a serial number on the national property database Immobilise. This will help us to return your property to you if it’s stolen and will make it harder for thieves to sell on.

I also can’t stress enough the importance or downloading and installing tracking software on your mobiles, tablets and laptops. We’ve had some great results recently where people have activated their tracking software as soon as their phone or tablet has been stolen. Not only did it allow us to catch the thief red-handed, it meant the victim got their property back quickly.

Whether you’re going away for Christmas or staying home to play with all your new toys, there are some simple tips you can follow to keep you and your family safe.

Your home is your castle

  • If you’re going away for Christmas, make sure your house looks occupied. It’s worth getting automatic time switches for lights and radios.
  • Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house whilst you’re away – they could park a car on your drive and collect any mail or free newspapers which might otherwise just sit in your porch.
  • Cancel deliveries of milk and newspapers discreetly – don’t announce your departure to a shop full of people. Only tell people who need to know you’re going away and don’t post your holiday dates on Facebook or Twitter.
  • Don’t have your home address showing on your luggage for the outward journey. Only put this on the inside of your cases.
  • Lock the garage and shed with proper security locks. Make sure your tools are locked away so they can’t be used to break into your house.
  • Remember to remove the keys from locked doors and windows and to keep them out of sight in a safe place.
  • Letter box restrictors can prevent thieves from accessing the lock from the outside.
  • Never leave valuables on display by windows or doors, especially those with cat flaps.
  • Keep presents out of sight and don’t leave packaging for new electrical goods on display outside your house – keep it out of sight until the recycling is collected.

Christmas shopping

  • Keep handbags, purses and wallets close to you and secure at all times.
  • Don’t leave bags hanging on the back of chairs in cafés and restaurants, under tables or in shopping trolleys.
  • We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, register all your gear on Immobilise!

Meet your neighbourhood team
Come to one of the local registration events going on across Avon and Somerset, where your local neighbourhood team can help you to register your property on Immobilise. You can also speak to them about any issues you might have and get general crime prevention advice to help keep you safe this winter. Visit the local pages of the Avon & Somerset Police website to get details of your nearest event.

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

To Protect it Register it is the Christmas message from Police in Lancashire

Immobilise Preston PosterIn the run up to Christmas, Preston Police are encouraging members of the public to register their new xbox games console or PS4 on the national property register via www.immobilse.com, as soon as they’ve purchased them.

Approximately 340 games consoles have been stolen as part of thefts, robberies and burglaries in the last 12 months, across the whole of Lancashire. Very few are recovered as victims are unable to distinguish their property with serial numbers or unique markers.

PCSO Stephen Connolly says:

People are starting their Christmas shopping and games such as xboxes and the new ps4 will be very popular. The consoles are highly desirable to thieves as they are lightweight, portable and easy to sell on. Registering the items on www.immobilise.com improves your chances of getting it back if it is lost or stolen.

www.immobilise.com can be used by members of the public and businesses to register their valued possessions or company assets and is used by all UK Police forces to trace owners of lost and stolen property.

Preston City Neighbourhood Teams are working with all city centre retailers stocking the consoles, who will be distributing literature upon purchase as well as displaying ‘To Protect It, Register It’ posters.

For more information and to view the source story please go to: http://www.lancashire.police.uk/news/to-protect-it-register-it

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

York residents invited to register valuables on national Immobilise database

PCSOs Rachel Shaw and Tony Barge show Tracey Simpson-Laing how they use the new scanning equipment. (Source: York Press)

The York Press has reported that residents worried about their property being stolen are being invited to register their items on the Immobilise National Property Register to make it easier to return stolen goods to their owners.

City of York Council is urging people to register their property free of charge using new technology invested in by North Yorkshire Police and the Safer York Partnership during the week-long national campaign. The authority teamed up with police to provide £36,000 to fund the Hermes and Apollo kits.

Hermes allows the police and other organisations to upload details of property by recording identifying features, size or serial numbers, which can be retrieved from the Immobilise National Property Register that the police are able to access securely via the PNC and numerous other interfaces.

Apollo is a hand-held scanner which the police and PCSOs can use to scan an item, store its data on the National Mobile Property Register and retrieve the information when suspected stolen goods come to light.

The eleven sessions for the public are being held so people can either have small items such as smartphones or laptops registered, or can bring details – including photographs – of valuable furniture or serial numbers of bikes, for example.

Coun Linsay Cunningham-Cross, cabinet member for crime, said:

Safer York Partnership is keen to use innovative technology to deliver more effective and efficient responses to tackling crime.

By taking a few minutes to register their property on Hermes and Apollo and pick up security advice, residents can not only help prevent their belongings being stolen in the first place, but can be assured that if something is stolen, they are more likely to get it back.

Supt Phil Cain said:

Often the police recover items during searches or by other means, and it’s not always clear if those goods are stolen.

By using the Immobilise register, they can find out instantly. This not only saves officer time, but helps progress investigations and means the rightful owner gets their belongings back.

The sessions will take place at the council’s West Offices, in Station Rise, on the 19th and 20th November, between 9am and 3pm.

There are also sessions at York Explore library, in Library Square, on Friday 21st from 1pm to 5pm, and on Sunday 23rd from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

There will also be sessions at York University Library from today until Friday, 9am to 3pm, or at York Art Gallery, on Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 3pm.

To view the source article please go to: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Preston Police urge residents to safeguard their valuables using Immobilise

LancsImmobSign1Preston Police are urging residents to safeguard their valuables and avoid being targeted by thieves by entering their items onto the Immobilise National Property Register.

www.immobilise.com is a website which allows members of the public to register their valuables for free, using IMEI, Serial or Frame numbers. Any item can be added, from TVs to toasters, bikes to jewellery, but the most popular products which are stolen include mobile phones, laptops, games consoles and sat navs.

It’s simple to use and only takes a couple of minutes to create an account and add an item, then it can be updated at leisure. For those that don’t have access to the internet, they can speak to their neighbourhood policing team, who can register items on their behalf.

Police check any items they recover against the database using the dedicated NMPR service, if it’s been registered they can easily identify the owner and return the property to them, even if it hasn’t been reported stolen.

The initiative is part of Preston Police’s Operation Immobilise. Any residents that already have an account can also take advantage of free window and property stickers, which are available from their neighbourhood policing team. Street signs have already been put up in the Plungington area, in particular Cambridge Close and Ripon Street.

PCSO Stephen Connolly says:

Whilst we continue to do everything possible to trace the people involved in theft and burglaries in our communities and put them before the courts, we are also asking residents to play their part by taking simple crime prevention measures. Immobilise is a powerful tool for all constabularies and helps us to identify offenders as well as reunite victims with their property.

Further information can be found on www.immobilise.com or at www.lancashire.police.uk

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police

Northumbria Police aim to Immobilise thieves and property crime

Northumbria Police BadgeNorthumbria Police are urging residents to safeguard their valuables and avoid being targeted by thieves.

Officers are holding free property logging sessions at the Newcastle Shopping Park in Byker on Tuesday, July 23, Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25, from 9am to 3pm daily.

People are invited to come along to the mobile police office in the car park and officers will register items for them on www.immobilise.com – The UK Nation Property Register. You don’t need to bring the items with you, just bring the details of them and an officer will open your account which you will be able to add to at any time.

It only takes a couple of minutes to use the site to record the make, model and serial numbers of property from mobiles, iPods, TVs and laptops to bicycles, jewellery, power tools and portable sat navs. The secure site can only be accessed by the registered user.

Police check any items they recover against the database; if it’s been registered they can easily identify the owner and return the property to them – even if it hasn’t been reported stolen.

It’s simple to use and residents can add more items to the site when they get home, to make sure all valuable property is recorded and kept up to date.

This is part of Northumbria Police’s volume crime campaign – Operation Soundwave – aimed at ‘turning up the volume on crime’ and silencing opportunist criminals during the summer months.

Neighbourhood Inspector Deborah Alderson, said:

By holding this crime prevention three-day event at the start of the school holidays we hope people will take advantage of the opportunity to get help security logging their property.

At this time of year we often see an increase in opportunist theft from homes and vehicles. To deter thieves security log your property on the crime prevention site then, if an item is stolen and subsequently recovered by police it can be reunited with its rightful owners.

We continue to do everything possible to trace the people involved in theft and burglaries in our communities and put them before the courts, but we are also asking residents to play their part by taking simple crime prevention measures.

I’d also encourage residents to report anything suspicious they see in their neighbourhood to police at the earliest opportunity so we can investigate.

If you can’t get along to the crime prevention event at Newcastle Shopping Park officers are encouraging residents to register their property themselves on a free crime prevention website – www.immobilise.com – and increase the chance of getting any stolen items returned.

For further crime prevention advice and the source article visit www.northumbria.police.uk