Tag Archives: Crime Prevention

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

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

Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

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

Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police, Students

London Met Police See Rise in Phone Thefts at Music Gigs

Nine people have been arrested in London in the past fortnight as officers crack down on organised gangs of thieves targeting music fans carrying expensive mobile phones at crowded gigs.

Officers have recorded a rise in the number of thefts at indoor and outdoor music venues across the country.

They believe pickpockets are targeting top-end mobile phones used by many to take pictures and record acts on stage.

Investigators said surging crowds and booming music can make individuals more vulnerable to theft and help criminals escape. Members of the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU), based within the Metropolitan Police, have warned music venues of the trend.

Detective Superintendent Nev Nolan, who leads the unit, said:

We want all fans to enjoy their concert and to have a good experience.

We are concerned that organised thieves are targeting concerts to steal phones from genuine fans.

A lot of people like to use their mobile phones to film or take photographs of the concert, but will then return the phone to an insecure bag or pocket, where thieves are able to snatch it.

When they discover it is gone, many will simply assume it is lost and simply cancel the sim, without reporting it to the police.

A lot of people will be getting mobile phones for Christmas and we would urge them to keep them safe and to register their phones with the website Immobilise.com.

Source: The Press Association

Crime, Immobilise, Police

A helping hand in burglary crackdown

PC Carrie Robertson, from Prestwich police station: Credit: This is Lanacshire
PC Carrie Robertson, from Prestwich police station: Credit: This is Lancashire

This is Lancashire has reported that Police are using the “long arm of the law” to help them tackle burglaries in Prestwich.

Officers from the Prestwich neighbourhood policing team have been posting life-size pictures of a “burglar’s” arm through letterboxes in the Polefield area to remind people to keep their homes locked and valuables out of reach. The operation was launched after a rise in the number of “hook and cane” thefts, where people fish through letterboxes with a cane to steal keys and wallets.

Detective Inspector John Mazzolai, from Bury CID, said:

These leaflets usually have quite an impact and are designed to make people stop and think about how to protect their homes.

One-third of burglaries are due to insecurities in the home so it is important residents take a few simple steps to avoid this type of crime. Please ensure that all doors and windows are kept secure, even if you are staying inside. If you are going out, use a timer with a light so it gives the impression that someone is home.

Residents can register their valuables online at immobilise.com to help police identify items found or recovered from suspected criminals.

To read the source article please go to: www.thisislancashire.co.uk

Bicycles, Crime, eBay, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police

Immobilise helps to solve Chiswick cycle thefts

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

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police, Students

Sharp rise in London bike theft

London commuters Credit: Stuart Coles
London commuters Credit: Stuart Coles

According to a recent news item on the BBC site, this year has seen a sharp rise in the number of bike thefts in the nation’s capital, emphasising the need for greater bike security and use of systems like Immobilise.

Police figures have shown that a total of 426 bikes were stolen in Westminster between April and August this year compared to 244 in the same period in 2009 – a 71% rise.

The West End was the worst-hit area in the year 2008/2009 with 436 bikes stolen, the Metropolitan Police said.

London as a whole has seen a 6% rise in bike thefts with 18,218 cycles reported stolen since last April.
Year-on-year figures for Westminster show 1,466 cycles were stolen between last April and March 2009, compared to 1,420 bikes the previous year and 1,277 in 2006-2007.

Across London 17,182 cycles were stolen in 2007/2008, fewer than the year before which saw 18,646 bike thefts.

Ch Insp Glenn Tunstall, who works in the central Westminster area, said thefts had risen as a result of the increase in cycle journeys in London.

He said:

We have increased our patrols, doing high visibility patrols and more proactive work around thefts. As a result since the beginning of the year our arrests have risen by 333%.

But in a lot of these arrests we are unable to trace the owners of these cycles which makes it very difficult for us to achieve justice.

So we are asking members of the public to register with firms like immobilise.com and make a note of their frame numbers and that will allow us to be more effective.

Other boroughs which saw a high number of thefts were Islington, Camden, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Kingston, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea.

To read the source article please go to the BBC News website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8207023.stm

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police, Students

Cambridge bike thieves target freshers

cambridge_bikesby Simon MacMichael writing for Road.cc

Police in Cambridge are urging cyclists to mark their bicycles after an average of nearly 11 bicycles a day were reported stolen in the university city during October.

Just two of the 338 bicycles were reunited with their owners, according to Cambridge News, as thieves targeted new students at the start of the academic year.

Lewis Herbert, a member of Cambridge city council, told the newspaper: “I am worried and very concerned at the risk of a major outbreak of thefts in the autumn and the high theft figures through 2009,” adding that there should be additional secure areas where people can leave their bikes safely.

In the first ten months of 2009, more than 1,900 bikes have been stolen in the city, a 13% increase on the comparable period in 2008, with a 31% increase in October alone compared to the same month last year.

Cambridgeshire Police have launched a campaign called “Lock it or Lose it” to combat the soaring levels of bike theft in the city, with Sergeant Gordon Morgenthaler working together with the council and Cambridge Cycling Campaign to educate cyclists.

Sergeant Morgenthaler told Cambridge News: “Prevention is the ultimate aim, but we also want people to register their bikes on immobilise.com.” The latter provides security tracking services including security tags for bicycles.

This article was orginally published by Simon MacMichael writing for Road.cc

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

Stolen phone is returned by Police thanks to Immobilise

The Haringey Independent has reported that a stolen mobile phone was returned to its rightful owner thanks to the Immobilise National Property Register.

While on patrol on October 27, in Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham, Haringey police’s safer transport team stopped-and-searched a 31-year-old man.

He was found to be carrying a mobile phone which was traced by the police* on website Immobilise.com to a woman who had reported it as stolen in September.

The man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and bailed to return to police on Monday, November 9.

PC Matt Fathers, of Haringey Safer Transport team, said:

This shows that by having your valuables registered on immobilise.com, the chances of having you lost or stolen property returned to you, are greater.

The stolen mobile has since been restored to the owner who was very pleased.

The free website allows users to register all of their valuables by serial number inlcuding mobile phones, laptops and even bikes.

If the property is stolen you can use the site to alert police, insurers or second-hand traders so that if they come across the goods they can be returned and help catch criminals.

To read the source report in full please go to: Haringley Independent

* The police search the Immobilise National Property Register and other information via their own search portal the NMPR.

CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, ImmobiTag, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss

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