Tag Archives: Police

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, Police, Report My Loss, Students

Oxford police in plea to register bicycles

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/

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

South Yorkshire Police advise – If you love it, log it!

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

 

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

Herts Police – Immobilise phone thieves and help keep your mobile secure

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:

  1. Register your phone for free on www.immobilise.com
    It could help your phone to be returned to you if it gets lost or stolen.
  2. Keep your phone safe
    Don’t leave it in your car, in an open handbag or pocket and never leave it unattended  in a public place, even for a second.
  3. If it gets stolen, block it immediately
    If you are unlucky enough to have your phone stolen, let your phone operator know  immediately and they can block the phone so that a thief can’t use it – and also report it  to police.

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

 

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, NMPR, Police

Police say don’t give cycle thieves easy ride – register on immobilise

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

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Police

Make life difficult for cycle thieves – Police registration event

Cyclists in the Ely area of Cambridge are being urged to help ward off thieves by getting their bikes marked and registered on the National Property register – Immobilise.

Police are holding a free bike marking event at High Barns play area in Ely from 6.30-8.30pm on Friday (24/06/2011).

Information about online property registration database Immobilise will also be handed out.

Registering property on the Immobilise website allows police to quickly trace the owner if it is stolen and recovered.

PCSO Daniel Stewart said:

By encouraging people to register their bikes on Immobilise we hope to stay ahead of the game and stop bike theft.

Immobilise is simple to use and it only takes a couple of minutes to register your property.

He added:

If a registered bike is stolen and then recovered, it is likely to be quickly reunited with its owner and police will have a better chance of prosecuting the thief.

See http://www.immobilise.com

To read the source article please go to: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Ely/Make-life-difficult-for-cycle-thieves-22062011.htm

 

Crime, Immobilise, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Police gear up for T4 on the Beach and encourage registration on Immobilise

Police are gearing up for T4 on the Beach next month, which is returning to Weston-super-Mare for the ninth year running.

Almost 50,000 people are expected to flock to the seaside town on Sunday 10 July to enjoy live music from a star-studded line up which includes chart toppers Jessie J, N-Dubz and Chipmunk.

But along with the fun and excitement, local police are working hard to ensure the weekend is safe and enjoyable for residents and visitors alike.

Superintendent Richard Cadden said:

Once again this year we have worked closely with the organisers of T4 on the Beach so that we are able to provide a safe environment for everyone. In previous years the event has proved really successful and passed off with only a handful of minor incidents. There will be additional police officers on duty over the whole weekend to ensure that people can feel safe and be safe whether enjoying T4, having a day out in the town or going about their daily business.

In the weeks leading up to the event police are urging people to think about what they can do to have a safe and incident free weekend. Last year the majority of incidents reported to the police involved lost or stolen mobile phones. This year police are urging people to register their property free of charge on Immobilise, www.immobilise.com. In the event that you lose your phone, you can use the facility to tell the police, insurance companies and the second hand trade – greatly improving the chances of recovering your property and capturing thieves.

Supt Cadden added:

This summer promises to be a busy one in Weston, especially with the new Grand Pier attracting many more visitors to the town and we look forward to welcoming back T4 on the Beach again this year.

For further information, including crime prevention and general safety messages, visit our website at www.policeatT4.co.uk.

To read the source article please go to: www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

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

Police advise public to register bikes and belongings on Immobilise

Police in Doncaster are advising the public  to keep their property and belongings secure following a recent spate of bicycle thefts across the borough.

During the last few weeks, there has been an increase in the theft of bikes when they have been left unattended outside shops or left insecure in gardens.

Opportunistic thieves will not think twice about taking property that is unattended or insecure, and police are urging the public to be vigilant and secure their property at all times.

Sergeant Jez Fitzgibbons said:

We have had a number of thefts reported over the last week, where people have left their bikes insecure in their gardens thinking they will be safe, or outside shops unattended. Even though they are only away from the bike for a matter of minutes, it only takes seconds for someone to steal it and we want to ensure this doesn’t happen, but we need the publics help.

To deter thieves, always ensure bikes are locked or chained up when left unattended, even when left in your garden.

To also deter thieves from stealing bikes, have the crossbar stamped with your postcode as it makes it more difficult for the bike to be sold on and less likely to be stolen.

Bikes can also be registered for free on the national property database Immobilise, www.immobilise.com, by entering the bike frame number. Should the bike be stolen, it can be identified and traced back to the original owner if found.

To read the source article please go to: http://southyorks.police.uk/news/06062011/5354/bicycle-thefts-doncaster

Crime, Immobilise, Lost Property, Police, Report My Loss

As Glastonbury Festival nears Police advise registering belongings on immobilise

As the clock counts down to this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Avon and Somerset Police are offering festival-goers crime prevention and personal safety advice.

Glastonbury Festival, one of Europe’s largest music and arts festivals, takes place between June 22 and June 26, 2011. With more than 175,000 people heading to Worthy Farm in rural Somerset, the policing operation to help people stay safe at the festival is the largest in Avon and Somerset Police’s calendar.

Crime at the festival remains low and last year around 99.7% of people were not victims of crime. Police are reminding those people attending the festival about the things they can do to have a fun and crime-free festival.

Inspector Chris Morgan, who will be working at the festival, said:

Glastonbury is less than a month away now and I know the excitement is building for everyone lucky enough to get a ticket. People have paid a lot of money to come and we do not want anyone to have their experience ruined by becoming a victim of crime.

There are some easy things people can do which will help them have a great festival. The safety tips are quick and inexpensive but can make a real difference. The key thing to remember is to bring with you only what you need and keep anything valuable in the free property lock-ups on the site.

Festival-goers are advised to:

  • Plan your journey carefully. Check your vehicle is roadworthy, take plenty of food and water with you and be prepared for queues near the site.
  • Bring only what you need. Anything you do need should be registered on for free on Immobilise (www.immobilise.com) before you set off and either kept with you or, even better, left in the free property lock-ups.
  • If you need to bring a phone, find an old handset and bring that instead.
  • Look out for your friends and ask them to look out for you. Try to travel around the site with your friends – particularly at night when it is dark and often disorientating

Festival-goers can stay up to date with news, photos and crime prevention advice online, on social media and through text messages both before and during the festival:

Follow them online at www.glastonburypolice.org
Follow us on Twitter @PoliceatGlasto for regular tweets
Sign up to receive text messages by texting Glasto to 81819

Sergeant Shirley Eden from the Operational Planning team will be taking part in a special webchat. People will be able to log on and ask about crime prevention and what it is like to plan for an enormous event such as the Glastonbury Festival. The webchat takes place between 6.30pm and 8pm on Wednesday June 8, 2011 at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

For more information and to read the source article please go to: Avon & Somerset Police

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, ImmobiTag, Lost Property, NMPR, Police

The NMPR enables London Cycle Task Force to reunite bike with owner

Immobilise’s Police search portal, the NMPR, continues to help the joint MPS/TfL London Cycle Task Force in identifying and returning stolen bikes and property to their rightful owners.

As reported by BikeBiz, PCSOs Jaime Page, Matthew Sait and Derek Fletcher from the MPS/TfL (Metropolitan Police Service/Transport for London) run Cycle Task Force reunited a stolen bike with its owner this month. While on patrol in Islington on May 3rd 2011, they noticed an unsecure and unattended silver bike upturned outside a sports shop in Chapel Market, London.

The officers checked the frame number of the bike against the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR) to check if it was registered and reported stolen. The checks revealed the registered bike had

instantley searchable via the Police NMPR, mean that the police can on occasion return your property before you even realise or report it stolen!

For more see: www.immobilise.com/about

To read the source story please go to: BikeBiz

Crime, Immobilise, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Immobilise helps South Yorkshire Police reduce property crime

South Yorkshire has claimed a major success on crimes such as burglary and car theft following the recent release of new crime figures. The new figures show that house burglaries in South Yorkshire were at their lowest level in 30 years and that the number of car thefts were at their lowest since records began in 1974.

The statistics also reveal that in the year to March, 29 per cent of all serious acquisitive crimes committed in the county were solved and that crimes of that type were down 11 per cent on 2009/10.

South Yorkshire Police said it had developed specialist teams of detectives to focus specifically on burglary, robbery and vehicle crime.

Technology used at the scenes of burglaries and car crimes has moved on quickly with forensic officers now using shoe match identification as well as DNA and fingerprints.

Intelligence on crime trends and active criminals is also used to deploy officers to priority areas across South Yorkshire, and officers are engaged in “offender management” which involves curfew checks and application of bail conditions to limit re-offending.

Supt Tim Innes, South Yorkshire Police’s lead officer for serious acquisitive crime, said:

Despite record performance for South Yorkshire, it’s critical that we keep the focus on this area of crime which can be emotionally and financially devastating for victims.

Our success is based upon some key factors.

Effective use of intelligence, management of offenders, working with partners and communities, quality investigation, and providing a responsive service day in, day out.

I would like to recognise the hard work of our staff who do a tremendous job across all departments and agencies.

I would also like to thank the public who are reporting crime, marking, securing and recording their property, and providing valuable information to help us track down criminals.

We have had some tremendous success in identifying stolen goods and I would like to remind everyone in South Yorkshire to log their property on websites such as www.immobilise.com which help reunite stolen items with their owners.

To read the source article please go to: Yorkshire Post