Category Archives: Report My Loss

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Immobilise helps police reunite 250 items of recovered property with their owners

Property Marking EventPolice 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:

  • Ensure windows and doors are shut and locked when you are out
  • Lock sheds and garages
  • Don’t leave car keys left in an outside porch or within reach of letter boxes
  • Shoppers are advised not to leave presents in view on car seats. They should be taken home immediately and not left in the vehicle.
  • Christmas presents – wrapped or unwrapped – should not be left in view in the home.
  • Don’t leave boxes from new TVs or laptops on display outside your home, take them to the tip.
  • Register your property on www.immobilise.com
  • Mark your property – kits are available from your local police teams.

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

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

South Gloucestershire Police ‘pedal’ bike security to children and encourage property registration

Top image shows PCSO Rob Hendra talking to a young man about bicycle road safetySouth 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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Beat the burglars – protect your presents!

Two uniformed PCs facing away from the camera on patrol in BroadmeadPolice 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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Cambridge: Protect your presents from Christmas thieves

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:

  • Close the curtains once it gets dark outside, especially if the lights are on inside and not keep presents on show.
  • Presents should be removed overnight from vehicles.
  • Empty boxes, which could advertise the Christmas goodies inside the house, should not be left outside on view.
  • Once Christmas gifts are unwrapped, they can be registered for free at www.immobilise.com, which allows stolen goods to be identified and returned to the owner.

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

Crime, Immobilise, Police, Report My Loss

Police give seasonal safety advice during community safety day

Police give seasonal safety adviceThe 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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Burglaries, robberies and theft jump as recession hits home – Times Online

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

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

Bike theft! Not in My Neighbourhood!

bikesafety-beseen200911Police across Taunton and Wellington will be engaged with their partners in various activities under the “Not in My Neighbourhood Week” banner this week to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.

Not In My Neighbourhood week is a national home office scheme, now in its third year, which encourages people to learn more about work being done to tackle crime and other problems in their area and is a great opportunity for local agencies, the Police and other partners to show-case the work they do to make communities safer and improve their quality of life.

A range of initiatives will happen over the course of the week such as operations to tackle anti social behaviour, dangerous driving, and drugs to more light-hearted events such as crime reduction bingo for elderly residents.

Chief Constable Colin Port said:

Not in My Neighbourhood Week is a great opportunity to proactively work with people to find out what their main concerns are and show the general public that we are tackling the priorities they have identified.

Also launched this week as part of the “Not in My Neighbourhood” activities, Police will add some sparkle and shine to the streets of Somerset West with the start of “Operation Glitter”, their winter-long “Cycle Safe” campaign.

The scheme is being run by staff at Taunton and Wellington Police Stations between November 2009 and February 2010 in partnership with Ralph Coleman Cycles, Halfords, Bicycle Chain, Kings Cycles and Ian’s Cycle Centre.

During the campaign the police will work with cyclists and the public to help promote safe cycling with an aim to reduce the amount of serious road traffic collisions, which happen because cyclists are not properly lit and to reduce cycle thefts at a time when many people receive new bikes for Christmas.

Cyclists found without lights during the official hours of darkness, face being given a fixed penalty notice. However, if lights are then bought, the receipt and the notice can be taken to a police station to have the ticket written off.

Officers will also provide information on how to protect your bike including how to register it on a national police website www.immobilise.com.

Sergeant Anthony Crowter says:

Operation Glitter is a great opportunity to reinforce how important it is to have bicycle lights during the hours of darkness and wear the correct health safety clothing.

This an educational drive to remind people of the legal requirement to use bike lights, we will be delaying a prosecution by requiring people we stop to produce their new lights with a receipt within 7 days. I would rather someone bought a set of lights than have to pay a £30 fine.

This story was orginally published on the Avon & Somerset Police website: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/

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Police in Bath give new Students advice and support on living away from home for the first time

BathPoliceNewsImageNS17900NSUPolice in Bath have been heavily involved in fresher’s weeks at both Bath Spa University and City of Bath College in the last week. Officers are attending fresher’s fayres giving advice, handing out information and making students aware of how to look after themselves when living away from home for the first time.

This week sees the arrival of Bath’s biggest influx of new students at the University of Bath and police are involved again getting in touch with the new students in the city.

Chief Superintendent Gary Davies says;

In an ideal world I would like to be able to send letters to parents of new students before their children arrive in Bath for their time studying here. Mainly this would be a letter of reassurance as we are a safe environment for young people to come to but also to just highlight the ways in which students can help look after themselves by taking notice of some simple crime prevention advice. Our work with the students when they arrive this week will go a long way to keeping them and their property safe. We are also committed to a standard of behaviour in our night time economy and we need to make sure our new residents know how to behave.

At the freshers fayre on October 2nd students will get crime prevention advice, see a rape awareness campaign and have the opportunity to ask questions of officers on issues such as safety and recruitment. Students will also get the opportunity to register mobile phones, ipods and valuable property on www.immobilise.com. Immobilise helps UK police forces to identify the owner of lost & stolen goods thousands of times every day and return items to rightful owners.

Sergeant Geoff Cannon from Bath’s Community Safety Team commented:

When new 1st year students arrive at university the first thing on their mind is rarely to keep expensive property out of sight or to check locks on accommodation or to remember to walk home with people they know and not alone. It is understandable that they are excited and we want to welcome them to our city to enjoy all that it has to offer. Bath police officers are very approachable and this gives students the opportunity to talk to us on the day and to feel confident to talk to us at any time in the future.

Bath police are working on crime reduction at the freshers fayre with Heart FM and thank them for their support. They both continue to promote the message “Bath is a beautiful city we need your help to keep it that way”.

To read the source article in full please go to: Bath Police (Avon and Somerset Police)

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Police advise that defensive planting can deter thieves

Police in Avon and Somerset are helping residents combat crime by encouraging them to take up gardening! Gardens are often the first line of defence against crime as two-thirds of burglars gain entry to homes via the back of the property. There advice although aimed at local residents, is just as relevant wherever you live whether that be in town or county.

The summer months also see an increase in thefts from gardens and sheds as people bring out their garden furniture and equipment as the weather improves.

The value of property stored in gardens, sheds and garages is often much more than people realise and can soon add up. Power tools, plants, containers, hand tools, sports equipment, cycles and toys are among those items most frequently taken by garden thieves.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary suggest that using defensive planting and prickly bushes to enhance the security of boundaries, around drainpipes or beneath ground floor windows, making forced entry more difficult and less attractive to would be burglars, is a simple, inexpensive and environmentally friendly crime prevention favourite.

Marking power tools with postcodes and house numbers is also effective. These details can then be placed on www.immobilise.com which can be used by members of the public and businesses to register their valued possessions or company assets. Alternatively, permanently mark them by scratching or painting this will also reduce their value to the thief.

Crime Reduction Officer Tony Alderman from Taunton said:

People can take very simple but effective crime reduction measures, which can have a dramatic effect on their property’s overall security.

Clever planting, padlocks on gates and sheds and motion sensor lights are inexpensive and effective. Garden tools are often used to assist the burglar breaking into a property – ladders, are particularly helpful to thieves for example, so keep them locked away.

To read the source article in full go to: Avon and Somerset Constabulary

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

Stay Crime-Free at Glastonbury Fesitval

‘Register your phone with Immobilise’ is the message from police to revellers headed to Glastonbury Festival next week.

With the gates to Glastonbury Festival opening in just a matter of days around 177,000 people will be travelling to Pilton, many of them with mobile phones, digital cameras, iPods and cash in their pockets.

And while the majority of these people will have little more to worry about than what band to watch previous year’s experience suggests that a small number may become victims of crime.

While crime remains low at Glastonbury Festival, there was a rise in thefts from tents last year – particularly in the first two days of the event – and mobile phones proved to be a particular target.

As a result police are this year urging Glastonbury-goers to register their mobile phones and other essential valuables on the Immobilise Database, before heading to the event, so if they are lost or stolen they can more easily be returned to their owners.

The best advice for not getting your stuff stolen while you are at the festival is not to take it with you – but if you do have to take it – make sure its stored securely and wherever possible make use of the festival’s free property lock-ups available throughout the site.

Police will be at the festival, both in uniform and undercover, on horseback, cycles, and on foot to deter any potential criminals but there are also lots of simple things which you can do to keep yourself as safe as possible and reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime.

Sergeant Kerry Williams said:

Crime at Glastonbury Festival is low and the crimes that do happen can be easily prevented. We’re urging people to plan carefully ahead of this year’s festival and leave any unnecessary valuables at home. However if they do need to take the items with them make sure they are registered on the Immobilise Database and are stored securely by making use of the free property lock-ups.

I would also urge people not to leave anything valuable unattended in their tents and I’d recommend marking their property, which can both deter thieves and help to show who the rightful owner is.

To read the source article in full please go to: Avon and Somerset Police