Category Archives: Police

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

Kent Police issue advice on protecting your personal property

The Kent Police website offers some great information and advice on protecting your personal property. The advice includes personal safety, securing your home, personal property and vehicle security. Much of what you will read on the site is commonly issued advice, however the Essex website has gathered it all together in a useful easy to digest form that is relevant to all of us regardless of where we live.

One of the key messages that comes across is the importance of marking your possessions and registering them on the Immobilise Property Register.

The police recover many items that have been lost or stolen. By security marking items that have financial or sentimental value, it is easier for the police to identify them and return them to you.

Marking your property may also act as a deterrent to thieves, who do not want to be caught holding or passing on stolen items.

Always include information that will help identify you as the owner of the property, for example, a postcode.

For more information please see the following links:

Kent Police: www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice.html

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Has your bike been stolen?

This is Gloucestershire recently reported that cyclists who have had their bikes stolen had the opportunity to be reunited with them.

A cycle viewing and coding session was held at Cheltenham Police Station in Lansdown Road. The event was put on so people who have reported their bicycles stolen could see if they had been found by police.

It was also a chance for cyclists to find out more about protecting their bikes through the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR) which is accessed by the public via the www.immobilise.com website.

Police community support officer Kim Graham, who organised the event, said:

We now have more than 1,100 people who have registered through us with the NMPR thanks to the local cycle shops and police operations.

Officers were also security marking and encouraging cyclists to register their bikes on immobilise.

By visiting the website www.immobilise.com, a free, private and secure portfolio of personal property can be created and items added to the NMPR.

If the bike, or registered item, is then lost or stolen the website can be used to tell the police, insurers and the second-hand trade to help in finding it and catching the thief.

To read the source story please go to: http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/

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

BBC features West Midlands Police’s Digi-bike promoting Immobilise

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

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss

CheckMEND officially adopted by phone recycling industry and Home Office code of practice

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:

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Police, Recipero

Boston Police Trial the new CheckMEND service in USA

Boston Police have today (30th June 2010) agreed to a 30 day trial of the new CheckMEND service in the USA prior to it going live with all pawn and second-hand dealers in their jurisdiction. If the trial is successful Recipero see this as a very exciting opportunity to extend the service to every US law enforcement agency to create a national free transaction submission and Police checking service.

Unlike Europe second hand dealers and pawnbrokers in the US have to supply details of transactions to their local law enforcement agencies so CheckMEND has widened its remit to include this in the process of running a due diligence check. At the same time Recipero, the owner of CheckMEND, has rewritten its US NMPR platform so free of charge US law enforcement will be able to view CheckMEND transaction data via the US NMPR as well as being able to match the data with crime reports provided to the NMPR (via the Trace Checker system) from over 18,000 US law enforcement agencies.

Ken Bouche who leads business development for CheckMEND and Trace Checker in the US said:

This is the culmination of over 2 years work to allow traders and pawn brokers to supply for free transaction data to an online database that can be checked also free of charge by the Police. Bolting on the stolen data from Trace Checker which Recipero took over late in 2009 is inspired and provides a whole new service for the trade to ensure they are not buying stolen or dubious goods that have been reported as stolen to their local law enforcement agency. If the service grows to be as popular in the US as it is in Europe this will be a very significant step for forward for everyone involved

For more information please contact us: www.recipero.com/contact

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

Leicester police urge residents to register their property on Immobilise

Police in Leicester have visited over 500 homes in just two days as part of their commitment to reducing burglaries.

Police Community Support Officers have knocked on 523 doors, personally spoken to 324 residents about their home security and provided them with a burglary prevention pack in the Hinckley Road area of the city. At homes where there was no response, a pack was posted through the letterbox.

The main aim of the initiative is to encourage residents to register their property on the UK National Property Register, Immobilise, which is supported by all UK police forces. Members of the public can log on to www.immobilise.com to register the serial numbers of expensive electronic items such as televisions, laptops, mobile phones and MP3 players. These details will assist the police in tracing property and returning it to its owner in the event it is stolen.

Chief Inspector Chris Baker said:

Immobilise is a national database that’s free to use and takes just minutes to register your property. It is used by all police forces to assist in identifying the rightful owners of recovered stolen property. Whilst insurance may cover the cost of a stolen laptop, it cannot replace lost family photos or important work stored on it.

Where possible officers have spent time with homeowners to personally explain how the Immobilise scheme works and

arranged for residents to have a personal visit from Leicestershire Constabulary’s Crime Reduction Officer or referred them to the Council for free security improvements to their home.

The Immobilise initiative, which will be rolled out to other areas of the city over the summer months, forms part of Operation Itchen – a city-wide campaign to reduce burglaries. As well as increased high visibility patrols and the targeting of known offenders, a number of other initiatives will run throughout the summer in conjunction with the Safer Leicester Partnership.

Anyone with information about burglaries in Leicester is urged to call Leicestershire Constabulary on 0116 222 2222 or Crimestoppers, and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

To read the source story in full please go to: www.leics.police.uk/

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police, Report My Loss, Students

Glastonbury Police offer advice to festival goers

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

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police, Report My Loss, Students, Uncategorized

MET Police – Croydon: Immobilise your phone

Croydon Council and Croydon Police, working as the Safer Croydon Partnership, have launched a campaign to combat mobile phone robbery among young people. Those aged 13-17 are more likely to be victims of robbery than any other age group, and the item most likely to be stolen is their mobile phone.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among young people about protecting themselves and their property and prevent them from becoming victims of theft. The message is – don’t make your phone a moving target – stay aware when using it in public places.

Posters will go up in secondary schools, youth clubs and at transport hubs across the borough. Police and council officers will be handing out leaflets to young people at bus and train stations and other busy areas.

A key element of the campaign is to get people to register their phone at www.immobilise.com . Doing this can help the police to recover property if is it is stolen and to catch the thieves.

We would advise anyone who has a mobile phone, whatever their age, to register it on www.immobilise.com as soon as possible. If it is stolen, it increases your chances of getting it back. It also helps the police to catch those responsible and bring them to justice – taking robbers off the streets.

When you register your phone on the website, please tell them you heard about www.immobilise.com from the Safer Croydon Partnership.

To read the source article please go to: Metropolitan Police

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

Wiltshire Police promote use of Immobilise to register property

Wiltshire Police are encouraging individuals and businesses to register their possesions and assets on the Immobilise National Property Register.

According to a recent new item on the Wiltshire Police website, the thefts of mobile phones continues throughout this County, although they (Wiltshire Police) have been promoting use of Immobilise for some time now, it is appropriate to remind everyone of the free mobile phone registration service called Immobilise.

Many thousands of mobile phones are lost or stolen each year in the United Kingdom. With you help we can make your phone safer and help to reduce mobile phone crime. The National Mobile Phone Register already holds the details of many millions of mobile phones. Add your details now to protect your phone and help the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU) stop criminals.

Exclusive to Immobilise, all account holders registered items and ownership details are viewable on the Police national property database. As a direct result of daily checks on Immobilise there are over 250 cases a week where property is returned to owners, or information collected that assists the Police in investigating criminal activity, involving stolen goods. The recorded information can help you after loss, theft or fire to complete insurance claims, report stolen or lost property to the Police and mobile phone networks.

Immobilise is also the only ownership registration service supported by all the UK Police forces, the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and The Mobile Phone Industry.

Uniquely via your Immobilise account any registered item reported as lost or stolen appears on the Stolen Equipment National Database and CheckMEND allowing them to be identified as stolen by the Police and second hand trade.

Community Safety Officer PC Stephen Fletcher of Wiltshire Police states;

“Immobilise is an excellent FREE service that is easy and perhaps more importantly safe to use. This service has shown real results. With Christmas fast approaching and electronic gifts on many peoples wish lists we would encourage

opportunity to have these returned to them should they go missing. With all UK Police forces on board this is a fantastic service for people to use.”

To read the Wiltshire Police press release in full please go to: Wiltshire Police

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

CheckMEND leads Bristol Police to successful prosecution of stolen goods seller

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