Tag Archives: Stolen Phones

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

Portable scanners crack down on phone thieves

The News Shopper in Bromley has reported that thieves are facing instant detection on the streets after the borough’s police became the first in London to purchase portable scanners.

The handheld device scans the IMEI barcode inside the back of a mobile phone and checks it against the national property register to see if it is registered as stolen.

It can also be used to check mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players and bikes, and for phones where the barcode is not easily accessable officers can simply key in the IMEI number (accessable on all phones by keying *#06#) directly into the device.

Borough commander Chief Superintendent Charles Griggs said:

The operation is one of many throughout the year where we focus on the safety of the travelling public and tackling crime and disorder on public transport.

What is different is the use of Apollo. As a portable handheld solution Apollo offers my officers remote access to the national mobile phone register whether out in the field or in the custody suite and gives us the opportunity to quickly identify stolen property.

Bromley police is encouraging everyone to register with the secure national property register at immobilise.com.

This will help the police to identify items and return them to their owners if they get lost or stolen.

Anyone with information about robbery in Bromley should call the police on 01689 891212 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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

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

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

CheckMEND, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Immobilise helps reduce mobile phone thefts

stolenmobilephonesThe Northamptionshire Evening Telegraph has reported that mobile phone theft rates have been steadily decreasing throughout the county thanks to forensic property marking schemes, encouraging people to use the security features on their phones and advising people to register their phones on www.immobilise.com.

However Crime prevention officer Paul Golley said people weren’t doing enough to protect themselves from thieves and against robbery:

We’d urge people not to show off their mobile phones or leave them unattended in public places like pubs and restaurants. People are advised not to use them while walking in public places as you are more prone to robbery.

We’d remind motorists not to leave phones in their cars and people should switch their phones to vibrate if they think their phone might bring them unwanted attention.

The number of mobile phone thefts in north Northamptonshire stood at 1,482 for the period 2006 to 2007. In the following year they dropped to 1,446 and the latest annual figure was 1,291.

To read the source article in full please go to: The Northamptionshire Evening Telegraph

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police

£250K New Home Office funding to tackle mobile phone crime

The Home Office has recently announced that £250,000 of funding has been made available to help police more swiftly identify stolen mobile phones.

The scheme will see the Police National Computer (PNC) linked to the National Mobile Phone Register (NMPR) enabling frontline officers to quickly and easily check if a phone has been registered as stolen from its rightful owner.

Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell said:
By working closely with the mobile phone industry we have already put in place measures to make it harder for thieves to profit from mobile phone theft – around 90% of handsets reported stolen are now blocked within 24 hours of reporting reducing their value and the incentive for thieves.

Linking the National Mobile Phone Register to the Police National Computer will also provide enormous benefits to the fight against mobile phone crime. Currently an average of 25% of searches result in the police obtaining vital information that could result in property being retrieved and cases being solved. I believe that putting this invaluable tool at frontline officer’s fingertips will see that number rise further.

The NMPR (National Mobile Property Register) is the national police database of registered property ownership and stolen property records. It is linked to voluntary databases – such as Immobilise.com, where people can enter their phone’s details. So if the phone is lost or stolen police can identify it and return it to the rightful owner.

To read the offical Home Office press release go to: Home Office Press Release

To visit the National Mobile Phone Register (NMPR) go to: NMPR

To visit the NMPCU (National Mobile Phone Crime Unit) go to: NMPCU

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Middlesbrough Police purchase mobile phone scanners

The Middlesbrough Evening Gazette has reported that police have invested in new hi-tech equipment to help reunite lost or stolen mobile phones with their rightful owners.

In conjunction with the Safer Middlesbrough Partnership and Radio Tactics, police in Middlesbrough have bought two mobile phone scanners.

The handheld devices can pass over the barcode in the back of a registered handset and identify it there and then as lost or stolen.

Police urge mobile phone owners to register their handset on http://www.immobilise.com/which can store unique details of mobile phones, such as their IMEI and serial numbers.

The new scanners, which will link in with Immobilise, were piloted in Middlesbrough last summer with encouraging results. Thirty-seven mobiles were scanned and found to be stolen.

The property office and Middlesbrough CID will each have a scanner so that any mobiles recovered in hauls of suspected stolen goods or booked into found property can be checked – and immediately blocked if necessary while police trace the original owner.

Detective Chief Inspector Shane Sellers, Middlesbrough police crime manager, said:

The new scanners should help progress the positive work we have carried out so far. Officers have already visited and will continue to visit local stores and dealers to encourage them to promote the registration scheme at the point of sale.

Det Chief Insp Sellers said that together with the Safer Middlesbrough Partnership the police intended visiting schools to promote the initiative to younger phone owners who are often affected by theft.

He added:

Once again, I’d urge mobile phone owners to take just a few minutes to register their phones on the immobilise website – it’s easy, quick and free.

To read the source article in full please go to: Middlesbrough Evening Gazette

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

York pupils secure their iPods

Nicola Fifield of The York Press has reported that valuable iPods and mobile phones owned by pupils at York schools are now more secure after being registered on Immobilise.Many pupils recorded their mobile phones and iPods on the database, and serveral more teenagers have ordered cycle tags for their bicycles.

If these belongings are subsequently stolen and recovered by police, the database allows police to track down their owners.

PCSO Louisa Warburton said:

The response from the children was great and we’re hoping that they will also take home the leaflets we gave them so that their parents can learn about the Immobilise website too.

It would be great if families could register all their expensive gear on the database because it is such a useful tool for us in helping to recover property that has been lost or stolen.

To read the source article in full please go to: The York Press

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

BBC reports ‘Stolen goods’ fear in downturn

The BBC News website has reported that the economic downturn may tempt people to risk buying stolen goods.

Gwent Police said it had noticed a rise in thefts from cars in the run-up to Christmas and was concerned people may be led into making dodgy purchases.

The force is urging people to register valuables on a website so items stolen could be returned to them more easily.

It is also targeting car criminals with more patrols, “capture cars” and number plate recognition camera equipment.

Community Safety Inspector Terry Davies said:

We are concerned that the credit crunch may be leading more people to risk buying dodgy goods which could have been stolen, to save money.

Our guess is that with the type of stuff being stolen, there may be more people inclined to buy cheaper goods and perhaps ask less questions than before.

We know that lot of sat nav sytems are being stolen. They are becoming almost a necessary item to own.

What we feel is that because so many items of this type of property is being stolen, there must be more than usual market for them.

He added stolen goods were much easier to return to their owners if they had been registered on www.immobilise.com, a property register used by all the UK’s police forces.

To read the source article in full please go to the BBC News website

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Mobile alert over phone presents

The Teeside Gazette Live, has reported that youngsters who receive a mobile phone this Christmas should take steps to foil potential thieves.

Middlesbrough Police, in conjunction with the Safer Middlesbrough Partnership and Safe in Tees Valley, are putting out a pre-Christmas message to encourage all owners of new mobile phones are registered with the website www.immobilise.com, which can store unique details of personal mobile phones, such as serial numbers.

Detective Chief Inspector Shane Sellers, of Middlesbrough Police, said:

Last year 835 mobile phones were reported stolen in the district.

Registering mobile phones on the www.immobilise.com website should have an impact in reducing this figure, particularly where phones have been stolen, as the phone can very quickly be blocked on the UK network, rendering it useless to the thief.

Safe in Tees Valley will be taking the message into schools and colleges to promote the message to the customers who are often most affected by mobile thefts.

To read the source story in full go to: Gazette Live

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

For thieves Christmas is a time for taking

For most of us Christmas is a time for giving, however as the West Midlands Police festive crime awareness campaign suggests, Christmas is also a time for taking.

Officers are launching a crime awareness initiative today (Wednesday 3 December) to put crime prevention awareness at the front of people’s minds as they prepare for the busy holiday season.

Robbery, shoplifting, vehicle crime, fraud and petty thefts traditionally rise at this time of year and people can easily fall prey to thieves as they may not be as security conscious as usual.

December’s dark nights give burglars plenty of cover to break into houses. Householders are reminded not to leave valuables and presents where they can be seen by passers by looking into the house.

The top five valuables burglars look for are:

  1. cash
  2. jewellery
  3. computers, including laptops and play stations
  4. credit and debit cards
  5. mobile phones

It is not just consumers that need to be more wary at this time of year, trades people are also urged to be wary and to proactively register items on immobilise.com:

Trades people are reminded to remove tools from their vans overnight, to postcode their equipment and register any tools with serial numbers at www.immobilise.com

The top five things stolen from vehicles are:

  1. auto accessories including hub caps, number plates and car badges
  2. audio items such as CDs
  3. car radios and CD players
  4. tools
  5. other on display items such as satellite navigation systems.

To read more please visit the West Midlands Police press site.