As from today CheckMEND will be checking millions of records supplied by finance providers.
This means that if we have a record that the item you are searching has a current finance agreement outstanding on it we will let you know.
We hope this will be a useful addition to the service as many of you have told us this is a major issue and concern for you as you don’t want to buy items where there is outstanding finance.
Cycle theft in Sheffield is a growing problem according to recent report in the Star. It was reported that only 41 of the 1,595 bicycles stolen from Sheffield city centre in the last 10 years have ever been recovered by police. The number of bike thefts in the city has soared in the last decade, particularly around the railway station and the universities.
With the average stolen bike costing just under £400, that means cyclists in Sheffield have been saddled with a bill of £638,000.
Sgt Darren Nugent, from South Yorkshire Police’s city centre safer neighbourhood team, said:
Over the last couple of years bike theft has gone up and up.
We have caught two or three thieves who were out stealing bikes all the time, and taking those few out of the equation has definitely curbed bike theft.
Officers also have another weapon in their armoury – the tracker bike. The GPS-enabled bikes are locked at theft hotspots and left unguarded to tempt thieves. If stolen, the device alerts police by text and officers use Google Earth to pinpoint its location.
Sgt Nugent advised cyclists to spend at least 10 per cent of their bike’s value on a lock and said two locks were always better than one. He also urged bikers to register their property at Immobilise – the UK national property register.
The Immobilise Property Register is linked directly to Police systems helping to quickly identify the rightful owner of recovered property, for more information go to www.immobilise.com/about
To read the source article please go to: www.thestar.co.uk
Following string of bike thefts and a successful operation to catch the thieves responsible Bristol police have made several suggestions on how to avoid becoming a victime of bicycle related crime.
Police are urging people to always secure their bikes and to take with them any objects that can be removed.
Their advice includes:
For more details please see the source article at: http://www.bristol247.com/
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To learn more about this accreditation go to: The British Assessment Bureau
As part of the launch of Mayor Boris Johnson’s YOU Matter (Youth Organisations in Uniform) programme, the Mayor has become a member of the Immobilise National Property Register with the aid of the Merton Volunteer Police Cadets.
Volunteer Police Cadets demonstrated Merton Police’s latest crime fighting kit, a laptop and scanner provided by the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU), which uploads mobile phone IMEI numbers to the secure crime prevention web site at immobilise.com.
I would say to any young person, come on and give it a go!
Using the Mayor’s own phone, the Cadets explained how police use the unique IMEI number to identify stolen mobile phones and arrest offenders, whilst registering his handset on the free property protection database.
In plans outlined by the Mayor today, thousands of youngsters will have the opportunity to join uniformed groups like the Volunteer Police Cadets, Guides, Scouts and Armed Forces Cadets. The £1.3 million programme, being run by the Safer London Foundation, will help young people develop vital skills and instil discipline and responsibility in young people, particularly those who are or at risk of being excluded from education, training or employment.
The initiative is part of Team London, the Mayor’s strategy to harness volunteers to deliver key projects to improve the quality of life and opportunities of Londoners.
Speaking at the Merton Sea Cadets Centre for the launch, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:
Uniformed groups are a fantastic way for youngsters to get involved in a myriad of activities, which will help equip them with the skills they need to succeed in life. It’s a modern tragedy that so many of our young people are struggling to get a foothold in the jobs market and are drifting into crime. By instilling self reliance, discipline and a sense of competition, young people can aspire to a better future.
For more information and to read the source article please visit: The MET Police Website
As Christmas approaches, Lincolnshire Police are urging people to log their expensive gifts and precious belongings on Immobilise.com, the world’s largest free register of ownership details.
Any item can be registered on Immobilise from small pieces of jewellery to plasma screen TVs and it is especially popular with people wishing to register mobile phones and bicycles. The system records serial numbers and also allows the user to upload a photo and description.
The database is linked directly to police systems, enabling officers to trace the owners of recovered property and to also identify the item as being stolen if found in the possession of a suspected thief. This ability to link suspects to a crime via the database means that Immobilise acts as a major deterrent to criminals.
Detective Sergeant Richard Myszczyszyn, from Skegness CID, said:
Burglars and thieves know that there will be rich pickings to be had in the post Christmas period and the use of the Immobilise database is a valuable addition to your crime prevention precautions. You can register as many items as you like, and then if they are lost or stolen you simply log back on to register them as such. The police can check any property they recover, whether that be from raids, routine checks on second-hand dealers or items brought into custody and, if they find anything that is listed as stolen, not only will you get your belongings back, but the thieves can be brought to justice.
DS Myszczyszyn ended by saying:
We want to send a clear message to those potential thieves that anything logged on Immobilise is too hot to handle. By registering your property and marking it as such, Lincolnshire residents can take steps to ensure they are much less likely to become a victim of crime.
To read the source article please go to www.lincs.police.uk
The BBC has reported that Police in Oxford are urging residents to register their bikes so they can be traced if they are stolen.
According to the BBC between June and August, 837 bikes were taken in the city – a rise of 141 compared to the same period in 2010.
Sgt Matt Sulley from Oxford police station said bike theft was a huge problem and returning cycles to their owners was the biggest issue.
He said if cycles are registered at immobilise.com police can easily identify the original owners.
In Oxford, Thames Valley Police are currently holding hundreds of bikes.
Sgt Sulley said the large number of cycles in Oxford made thefts a particular problem.
He said that also the large portion of old-style houses in the city meant it was difficult for people to access gardens and sheds to properly secure their bikes.
He added:
There are also criminals making a business out of it. Lots of bikes are being stolen and then stripped for parts which makes them very difficult to trace.
We have also seen a number of very expensive bikes, worth thousands of pounds, locked up with cheap locks.
Between 5 and 25 September 2011 neighbourhood policing teams will be at key locations in Oxford advising people about ways to protect their property.
To read the source BBC story please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-14760978
To visit Thames Valley Police go to: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/
South Yorkshire Police are advising people: ‘If you love it, log it’.
The recommendation, published on the South Yorkshire Police website says, Police are urging people to log their expensive property and any other precious belongings on immobilise.com – the world’s largest FREE register of ownership details.
In addition to acting as a major deterrent to criminals, the big difference with Immobilise is that as well as getting your stuff back if it’s lost or stolen, the system helps to catch the thieves as well!
The database is linked directly to police systems, so when officers recover any property, for whatever reason, they can check it against items logged on Immobilise. For example, if someone arrested on suspicion of drunk and disorderly has your stolen mobile phone in their pocket, police will also be able to link the theft to them as well – but only if it’s registered!
Any item can be registered on Immobilise. The easiest items to log are electricals, or anything that has a serial number, but you can even log jewellery or ornamental items using the photo upload and description functions.
You can register as many items as you like, and then if they are lost or stolen you simply log back on to register them as such. The police can check any property they recover, whether that’s when a person is brought into custody for any reason, property recovered from criminals in raids, or even during one of their now routine checks on second-hand dealers. And if they find anything that is listed as stolen, not only will you get your belongings back, but the thieves can be brought to justice.
We want to send a clear message to those potential thieves that anything logged on Immobilise is too hot to handle. As a member of the South Yorkshire public, by registering your property, and marking it as such, you are much less likely to become a victim of crime.
To read the source article please go to: www.southyorks.police.uk
Herts Police are reminding the public to keep their mobile phones secure and registered on www.immobilise.com.
Earlier in the month, the county saw a number of thefts of mobile phones from cafes, restaurants and bars where people were distracted by an offender who then took their phone.
Whilst these incidents have reduced, there are still a number of mobile phone thefts across Hertfordshire and police are reminding the public of three key things to keep in mind:
Unfortunately some people are tempted to report their mobile as stolen when they know they have lost it instead – false reporting is a crime. This is an offence and, where there is evidence, police will prosecute. Prior to reporting your mobile as stolen to police, you will be asked to make a declaration that you understand the consequences of making a false claim.
Posters with the numbers of mobile phone operators are now displayed in most station receptions and are available on the police website – search for ‘mobile phone security’.
If you report your phone as stolen to the police, officers need the serial number, known as the IMEI number, of your handset to be able to fully investigate the offence.
The IMEI is a unique 15 digit number assigned to the handset at the point of manufacture. It will be placed on a national database to which all UK police have access. If you don’t have IMEI number to hand, it will be on the box the phone came in or you can obtain it from your network operator. The best way is to register it for free on www.immobilise.com, that way you have an online record of number and police can return it to you if it gets lost or stolen.
You must also ask your operator for the handset and SIM card to be blocked so they don’t work any more.
For more information and to view the source article please visit www.herts.police.uk
York police are urging residents to ‘spoke up’ against cycle thieves.
Officers launched Operation Spoke in January 2010 as a deterrent to combat cycle theft and as a quick and easy way to reunite stolen bikes with their rightful owners.
Since the initiative began, almost 10,000 bikes have been security marked and registered with North Yorkshire Police and the national property register, Immobilise.
All cycle owners are being urged to sign up to the scheme, so that police can identify who stolen bikes belong to when they are recovered.
Officers are currently tying to trace the owners of a cycle which was targeted last month – who could have been easily traced if they had taken advantage of the free security marking offered by Operation Spoke.
At around 8pm on Friday 3 June 2011, police recovered a bike at the cycle racks near the Minster after someone had made an attempt to steal it.
The bike is in police possession but as yet the owner is unknown and police are urging anyone who believes it belongs to them to come forward.
If this is your bike contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110090973.
Officers are also trying to trace the owner of a black or grey Cannondale Bad Boy hybrid cycle which was stolen from the cycle racks on Tanner’s Moat, outside The Maltings at around 1.40pm on Tuesday 28 June 2011.
A 17-year-old youth was arrested in connection with the theft, however officers need the owner of the bike to come forward and report it stolen.
If you believe this was your cycle, contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 24 7, quoting reference number 12110106413.
PC Fiona Wilding of York police, said:
Cycles are often a target for thieves and it is important that people take action to protect their property.
It is advisable to buy a good quality bike lock and if possible use two different styles of lock, as thieves are rarely equipped to break both.
Everyone should also consider having their bike ‘spoked’ to make it easier for the police to catch offenders and return your bike if it stolen.
Security tagging involves having a unique mark placed on the frame of your bike which can then be matched to key details stored on the police database such as make, model and frame number.
The process is simple, quick and free and can be done at the Bike Rescue Project under Lendal Bridge or at regular Operation Spoke events held throughout the city.
To view the source story go to: York Police