Tag Archives: Bikes

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Mobile Phones, Police, Students

Students learn how to avoid becoming victims of crime

The Bolton News has reported that students have been given tips on how to avoid becoming victims of crime.

Police from the Bolton Central Neighbourhood Policing Team have been at Bolton University all week, marking property and registering students’ laptops and phones on the Immobilise database.

They have also been giving advice and crime-prevention tools displaying GMP’s new student safety campaign logo.

Inspector Phil Spurgeon said:

Every year, we run safety campaigns aimed at providing students with advice to prevent them becoming a victim of crime.

However, for new students in particular, crime prevention is always going to be the last thing on their minds when they are leaving home for the first time and they are likely to think it will never happen to them.

Local neighbourhood officers were on hand to meet and greet the new students and their parents, to remind them of how they can keep themselves and their valuables safe. Safety messages are also being sent each week to student’s phones in the area.

Students can follow simple steps to help stop thieves, including keeping valuables out of sight, always being aware of what is going on around them, keeping to well-lit areas and shutting and locking all windows and doors, even when they are at home.

To read the source article in full please go to: Bolton News

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

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)

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Police

Metropolitan Police work to “immobilise” bike theft

PC Carr from Highgate Safer Neighbourhoods Team with Ralph Crisp
PC Carr from Highgate Safer Neighbourhoods Team with Ralph Crisp

London’s Metropolitan Police has reported that officers from its Safer Neighbourhoods Teams have been helping people to register their bicycles on immobilise.com in an effort to combat a spate of bike thefts in which eighteen bicycles worth an estimated total of almost £13,000 were reported stolen in Highgate alone.

Officers are also carrying out covert and overt patrols and ‘decoy bikes’, to see if they can catch criminals red handed. Officers have made several arrests on suspicion of handling stolen goods as a result of proactive police work.

Sergeant Leon Christodoulou, Highgate Safer Neighbourhoods team said:

We’ve been going door to door to offer crime prevention advice on car and bike security and register people’s property on immobilise. We are happy for anyone in the area that owns a bike to contact us on 020 8721 2673 and we will arrange to register the bike on immobilise.com for them at no cost.

Police urge cyclists to follow some simple guidance around securing their bicycles, to help prevent theft:

  • Record and register your bike: – register your bicycle model, make and frame number free on the immobilise.com property register.
  • Take a clear colour photograph of your bike and make a written record of its description, including any unique features.
  • Invest in quality locks and use them. Look for the ‘secured by design’ quality mark. As a general guide look to spend about a tenth of the value of your bike on locks to secure it. (ie: secure a £1000 bike with £100 worth of locks).
  • Secure removable parts. Lock both wheels and the frame together. Take smaller parts and accessories with you, for example, lights, pumps and quick-release saddles.
  • Secure your bike to an immovable object. Consider installing a floor or wall mounted anchor lock for extra security at home. Remember that thieves can remove drainpipes and lift bikes off signposts.
  • Always lock your bicycle, even if you are just leaving it for a couple of minutes.
  • Secure your bike in well-lit, busy areas where any potential thief would be easily seen.
  • Park your bike safely and considerately, where it will not cause a danger or obstruction to others – particularly the elderly or the very young, or people with a disability.

More infromation onf bike security can be found at the London Cycling Campaign website www.Icc.org.uk for further security advice. If you think you are being offered a stolen bike, ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

To read the source article in full please go to: Metropolitain Police

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Police

Avon and Somerset Police warn Bristol bike owners to beware

Police in Bristol are warning bike owners to beware after arresting and charging a 26-year-old man from London who was spotted by officers while taking a bike from outside the BRI.

The suspect was seen in a shirt and tie, putting on a helmet and trouser-ties, tampering with a lock on a Mountain bike, which he then calmly placed into his rucksack, before attempting to ride off.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Kelvey is heading up a special task team focussed on catching criminals who are stealing bikes in the city.  DCI Kelvey wants to dispel the myth that bike thefts are only carried out by opportunist thieves and wants everyone to be more cycle security savvy.

DCI Kelvey said:

With Bristol being named the country’s first Cycle City there is a big drive to double the number of people using bicycles. 

We don’t want this to mean more opportunity for thieves or more victims of crime.

There are plenty of opportunist thieves who will take a bike if it is not secured properly, or those who take bikes from homes during burglaries, but there are also more organised and sophisticated bike thieves now operating.

The man who was arrested by our officers had travelled all the way from London with the intention of returning with a stolen bike.

He was dressed like an office worker so to passers-by, who were not observing closely, it may have just looked like a commuter picking up his bike.

DCI Kelvey went on to add that the Police needed the public support through increased vigilance, and to be proactive in the registration of their bikes and property on the national property database, Immobilise.

DCI Kelvey said:

It is the only property database that will automatically throw up results when we do checks on property through our standard system.

You would be surprised at how many stolen bikes we recover that end up having to be auctioned because there is no way of identifying an owner.

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

Bicycles, CheckMEND, Crime, eBay, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Police

Stolen bike listed on Ebay leads to recovery and arrest

Police officers in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire have recovered a high value bicycle and returned it to its rightful owner after it was listed for sale on the online auction site Ebay.

The Marin Mount Vision 5.8 2009 model bike was stolen, along with a Hard Tail mountain bike, from a home in Hester’s Way Lane in Cheltenham between 10pm on Wednesday August 5 and 5.45am on Thursday August 6.

Annoyed by the theft of their bikes one of the owners began searching online auction sites and immediately recognised one of stolen bikes as theirs. The police were alerted and acted straight away carrying out a warrant at an address in Springbank Grove, the marin bike, which is valued at approximately £2850, was recovered and a 29-year-old man arrested.

The man was later charged with theft of a pedal cycle and bailed to appear at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on September 18. The second bike has not yet been recovered and officers continue to work to try and locate it so that it can also be returned to its owner.

Officers are encouraging cyclists to register their bikes on www.immobilise.com, a website that allows you to create a free, private and secure portfolio of all of your personal property and adds the items to the National Mobile Property Register. If the bike, or registered item, is then lost or stolen the website can be used to tell the Police, your insurer and the second-hand trade to assist in recovering your property and catch the thief.

If you are about to purchase a second-hand bike and are unsure of the bikes history we recommend you consider checking the bikes serial number against Immobilise’s sister service CheckMEND – The Second-hand Database of Lost, Stolen and Counterfeit Goods.

Anyone who thinks they may have seen the outstanding bike is asked to contact Gloucestershire Constabulary on 0845 090 1234 quoting incident number 94 of August 6. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police, Report My Loss

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

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police

Bristol cyclists to benefit from police advice in National Bike Week

Bristol Police and the Safer Bristol Partnership are gearing up for National Bike Week from June 13 to 21 by organising a series of roadshows in the city to raise awareness of cycling security and to give advice on preventing bike theft.

AvonSomersetPolice_bikes1Avon and Somerset Police, in conjunction with Safer Bristol, will be at a number of locations in Bristol throughout National Bike Week (June 13 to 21) dishing out tips and advice, giving away copies of the ‘Spokes’ bike security leaflet, helping people register their bikes on the Immobilise Database and carrying out electronic tagging on bikes.

Bristol Police Constable Frank Simonds, who is involved in the roadshows, said:

Bristol is the UK’s first Cycling City, with many fantastic opportunities to get out and ride.

Our aim is to ensure the roads and cycle paths are a safe and secure place to be a cyclist, be it for leisure or commuting.

Emily Smith, Community Safety Officer with the Safer Bristol Partnership, added:

These events are proving really popular with cyclists helping them to keep their bikes and themselves safe. We have worked hard as a partnership to make the cycle paths in Bristol safe places to ride and we know how much people enjoy riding on them.

Police and community safety officers will be on hand to answer questions, distribute further advice and the ‘the Spokes’ leaflets as well as carry out electronic tagging of bikes on:

* June 17 from 7.30am to 9.30am at Bristol’s Bike & Walk Breakfast – College Green

* June 19 from 10am to 4pm at Stoke Road on Durdham Downs.

* June 21 from 9am to 6pm – Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride – Millennium Square

To cap off National Bike Week a team of PCSOs and Police Officers will also be mounting their bikes to take part in Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride, including PC Andy Stamp, who will be aboard a unicycle.

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

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police

Drive to halt rise in Cambridge cycle crime

Cambridge News Online has reported that there has been a massive increase in cycle theft since last year. The increase has prompted police to launch a new ‘Lock it or Lose it’ campaign.

The force has teamed up with Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cycling City, Cambridge Cycling Campaign and the city’s CCTV operators to target cycle thieves and encourage cyclists to do more to protect their bikes.

The crime reduction partnership is pooling its resources to spread two simple messages:

  1. Lock your bike up properly, to a fixed object, using a good-quality lock
  2. Register your bike for free at immobilise.com the National Property Register

Sgt Gordon Morgenthaler said:

We are working together to publicise the ‘Lock it or Lose it’ message. Prevention is the ultimate aim, but we also want people to register their bikes on immobilise.com

It is a free national property register that means if your bike is recovered anywhere in the country we can get it back to you. It’s free and easy to use.

Starting with National Bike Week, which runs from June 13 to 21, there will be various events all over the country and Cambridge Police will be at locations around the city registering cycles and giving advice to the public.

Liz Bisset, director of community services at Cambridge City Council, said:

We need the public’s help to reduce bike crime.

Locking your bike securely is such a simple thing to do and hugely reduces the likelihood of a bike being stolen.

We want to get that message out loud and clear to all cyclists in the city.

To read the source article in full please go to: Cambridge News Online

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police

Surge in city cycle thefts

The Norwich Evening News has reported that the Norwich has seen a surge in bike crime after 50 bikes were stolen in just a few weeks.

Although summer is traditionally a period which sees a rise in bike thefts, officers across Norwich have said the numbers are a sharp increase and want to warn cyclist to take more care.

Increased patrols have been carried out and nine people have been arrested so far, but officers are warning other bike owners to increase their cycle security.

Inspector Marie James, from the Mile Cross Safer Neighbourhood Team, said although some of the thefts are opportunist, there have been reports of people breaking into sheds and garages to steal the bikes.

She said:

It is a seasonal problem and now the nicer weather is here people are using bikes more.

People need to ensure their sheds are locked and secured as people have been going into sheds looking for bikes – there has been an emerging trend.

Many Safer Neighbourhood Teams are offering cyclists the chance to security mark bikes, and officers advise buying a good quality lock, using a lock to secure the bike-stand, wheel rim and frame together and suggest never leaving the vehicles unattended.

Police teams are also encouraging owners of precious or expensive items to register them on the Immobilise website.

To read the source article in full please go to: The Norwich Evening News

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

Merseyside Police crack down on mobile phone and bike theft

The Formby Times has reported that Merseyside Police have been cracking down on youths who steal mobile phones and bikes.

Laura Jones of the Formby Times noted that since May 1 the operation has led to 44 arrests, 11 of those for robbery resulting in five people charged and six bailed.

Police officers have made 462 stop searches and 91 stop checks, while also checking up on 568 “vulnerable premises”.

During the operation 74 mobile phones have been checked against the Immobilise National Property Register which can help reunite victims of robbery with their phones.

The operation has already seen a decrease in crime in the targeted areas.

Along with more patrols and increased intelligence gathering the Police have been working with Secondary School pupils.

Chief Inspector Stuart Ellison said:

With the summer holidays coming arriving soon I want to give out a very strong but clear message, that the Police are cracking down on crime and disorder throughout Sefton and if you or have the intention of committing crime you be caught, arrested and prosecuted.

To read the source article in full please go to: Formby Times Online