Avon & Somerset Police have announced that on Thursday 29 April 2010 between 10am and 3pm the Neighbourhood Policing Team will be at Curry’s on Channons Hill to promote Immobilise.com. Members of the public will have the opportunity to register goods, such as mobile phones, iPods, etc and speak with local officers about any concerns they may have.
For more infromation please go to: http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk
BikeBiz (Carlton Reid) reported yesterday that a bike crime across Surrey has been reduced by a police sting operation that involved Marin’s UK distributor ATB Sales.
ATB supplied a new bike which was used as bait to catch cycle thieves in the act. The bike – a Marin hardtail – was chained to a set of railings in Guildford with an inferior lock to tempt the bike snatchers.
230 bikes had been stolen in the Guildford area in a three month period.
The operation was the brainchild of neighbourhood police officer Sean Burridge. He said:
ATB gave us a great bike and it was just what we needed. Bike crime over the past six months has fallen by 50 percent as a result of this and several other initiatives.
Ross Patterson, ATB’s sales and marketing director, said:
This operation highlights the need for good bike security and the merits of a strong lock.
The police put an Immobitag transponder in the bike’s frame. This allows them to identify stolen bikes and return to their rightful owners. ATB’s Platinum Care programme includes insurance and a subsidised purchase of a transponder device.
For more some very informative advice on bike security please go to: http://quickrelease.tv/?p=327
To read the source story please go to: BikeBiz
In an expansion of the Immobitag cycle tagging scheme run by York Police, Operation Spoke is being launched by the YorkGuildhall Safer Neighbourhood Team, and officers hope thousands more bikes in York will registered in the coming weeks.
Complementing the Immobitag RF tag scheme, this additional initiative works by invisibly marking cycles with a unique registration number which will be stored on the Immobilise Property Register along with details of the cycle’s rightful owner.
PC Jonathan Hodgeon, one of the officers behind the scheme, said:
The unique number will be written on the bike in permanent UV pen, which officers can quickly scan in seconds, and if you don’t own the bike you will have to account for that.
This will help with city centre bike crime and also abandoned bikes will be able to be reunited with their owners. Along with Cycle City York, we are aiming to make bikes as well protected and identifiable as cars.
Sgt Jon Asvadi, who was also behind the launch, said:
There will be a lot of people saying that we are going back ten years with UV marking but it’s only through Safer York Partnership and City of York Council that we have been able to bring together the technology of UV pens, torches and the Immobilise website to create a process which is simple and quick and we know will be successful.
Sgt Asvadi said the data would be entered by vetted volunteers and special constables to ensure regular officers were not tied up.
Operation Spoke registration events will be held in York from January 13 to 17, in Parliament Street, on January 14, from 9am to 3pm, in Front Street, Acomb, on January 21, from 9am to 3pm at Oaklands Sports Centre, on January 23 at Tesco’s Askham Bar store, on January 20 and 21 at St Lawrence’s School and on January 22 and February 8 at the University of York.
To read the source article please go to: The York Press
The Manchester Messenger has reported that young people across Trafford are being urged to keep new gadgets received as Christmas presents out of sight to avoid becoming a victim of street crime.
Greater Manchester Police say January is a peak time for robberies and muggings as people step out with valuable new gifts such as mobile phones and MP3 players. Statistics also show young people are the most likely victims.
In January 2009 there were 56 robberies across Trafford compared to 32 the previous month.
Trafford Division’s crime reduction advisor, Eleanor Kelly, said:
We’re advising people to leave their valuables at home or keep them out of sight when they are out and about on the street, in parks and on public transport.
It’s worth remembering that while most people are out hunting for bargains in the sales, criminals may be on a spree of a different kind, especially in busy high street areas. Most robberies are opportunistic, so by keeping valuables out of view you can reduce your risk of becoming a target.
Also, remember to register your valuables on www.immobilise.com
To read the sources story in full please go to: www.messengernewspapers.co.uk
Avon & Somerset Police seized 15 bikes from a property in Burnham-on-Sea in early December, following a search of the premises by officers. The bikes were identified as stolen property and, although five have already been reunited with their owners, 10 are still languishing unclaimed in police custody as their owners couldn’t be traced.
Local officers are keen to remedy this and return the bikes to their owners. An open day is planned at Burnham-on-Sea Police Station on Saturday January 9, 2010 between 4.00 – 6.00pm. Anyone who has had a bike stolen are encouraged to attend to see if any of the cycles are their missing property.
However, PCSO Gill Bawler said:
We are really keen to reunite as many bikes with their owners as possible. I would also like to take the opportunity to encourage people, especially if you have had a new bike for Christmas, to register it on www.immobilise.com or get your property marked. If you get your bicycle security marked it dramatically increases the chances of it being returned should it be lost or stolen.
Further information regarding home security, property marking and crime prevention can be obtained from your local Safer Stronger Neighbourhood team. You can contact them by calling 0845 456 7000 or you can visit: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk and select the Crime Prevention heading.
To read the source story in full please go to: http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/
Police in Avon and Somerset yesterday (Thursday December 17) held their latest “Relentless” day, focussing on the prevention of theft and burglary.
There have been 26 Operation Relentless “days of action” since its launch in June 2005, which has resulted in more than 2150 arrests.
“Operation Relentless on Property” has targeted thieves and those who handle stolen goods in addition to highlighting crime prevention initiatives to the public to foil burglars and other criminals.
As part of the day of action, police and partner agencies engaged in a range of activities across Somerset. A warrant was carried out in the Taunton area leading to the arrest of a man for handling stolen goods. Vulnerable Vehicle Checks were carried out across the area, inspecting vehicles and identifying those with items of value left on display. The owners of the cars have been sent a letter reminding them to keep items such as phones, MP3s and Satellite Navigation Systems out of sight.
Officers also visited several second hand goods retailers with Trading Standards to ensure that they were complying with regulations and not trading in stolen items. Six arrests were made during the course of the morning. Five men were arrested for theft and another man was arrested for handling stolen goods. Four have been given bail pending further enquiries.
Officers from the district’s CID department also managed to reunite 250 items of detained property with their rightful owners this week.
Detective Inspector Alan West said:
When police receive items of property that have been recovered from thefts and burglaries, officers try to trace the owners of the items to return their possessions to them. If electrical items are registered on Immobilise and other items such as jewellery or antiques are property marked with the owners address or postcode, this process can be straightforward.
However, unmarked or unregistered items can languish in the Detained Property Department unclaimed for long periods and some items can never be linked to an owner. I would really encourage the public to either register their items on Immobilise or mark them with a UV pen or other property marking device so we can return them to you if the worst were to happen. Marking your items can also sometimes act as a deterrent to would be criminals.
Neighbourhood officers and PCSOs were also in Taunton town centre this morning registering people’s property, such as mobile phones, cameras and mp3 players, on the Immobilise website and carrying out bike and property marking. The Deputy Chief Constable, Rob Beckley, joined them in giving festive advice on how to beat the burglars and assisted with a bicycle property marking session. The team will be in the town centre again on January 13 and 21 offering these services for those who had new bikes or electronic equipment for Christmas.
In Bridgwater, officers held a property marking session at Bridgwater College for the students to register mobile phones and laptops on the Immobilise website and officers from Burnham-on-Sea visited King Alfred School in Highbridge and Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar to take property marking kits to mark and record mobile phones and MP3 players. Other property marking sessions also took place in Wellington Square in Minehead and the Town Hall in Dulverton.
DCC Beckley said:
We really want people to have a wonderful Christmas and New Year but we ask them to take some sensible measures to ensure that their festive period isn’t marred by becoming a victim of opportunistic thieves. One-in-four burglaries occur after the householder failed to secure their home and the burglar entered the property via an open door or window!
I encourage people to think about how their house looks when they go out – don’t make it obvious that there is nobody home, leave a light on and the radio playing and most importantly – make sure you lock all doors and windows, even if you are only popping out for a short period of time.
Inspector Nick Greenhalgh from the Community Safety team at Taunton Police Station said people can help protect themselves from opportunistic thieves by employing these simple measures:
Further information regarding home security and crime prevention can be obtained from your local Safer Stronger Neighbourhood team. You can contact them by calling 0845 456 7000 or you can log on to our website www.avonandsomerset.police.uk and select the Crime Prevention heading.
To read the source article in full please go to: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/NewsDetails.aspx?nsid=18923&t=1&lid=5
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
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
The Cambs 24 website has reported that advice is being issued to Christmas shoppers in Huntingdonshire to help safeguard their presents from thieves.
Each year gifts are taken from vehicles or from under the Christmas tree in people’s homes. Chief Inspector Russell Waterston from Cambridgeshire police said:
There are often easy pickings for criminals this time of year.
People are in high spirits and are often transporting and storing lots of desirable goods.
But the same precautions should be taken at Christmas time as every other time of the year.
We don’t want to see expensive gifts disappearing from under the Christmas tree before the festivities begin.
Homeowners are being some simple advice:
INFORMATION: Any suspicious behaviour should be reported to Cambridgeshire police on 0345 4564564.
To view the source article please go to: www.cambs24.co.uk
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