Tag Archives: Stolen Property

Bicycles, Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

South Liverpool residents deter burglars with Immobilise

Residents in south Liverpool are taking advantage of the Immobilise National Property Register to help them to protect their belongings, and deter burglars at the same time.

South Liverpool Homes (SLH) has joined up with Merseyside Police to offer the free scheme to all SLH tenants.  At the housing association’s monthly walkabout on Wednesday 6th May, staff chatted to tenants to make them aware of the scheme which aims to encourage people to register all their belongings on a national database.

The landlord is making it as easy as possible for tenants to take part in the scheme by registering their belongings for them if they are unable to access the internet.  This can include anything of value from mobile phone, tablets and game consoles to TV’s, bikes and watches.

SLH tenant Mrs Mooney is the first SLH tenant to take advantage of the scheme:

I thought this was a great idea so I jumped at the chance to register.  It took about 15 minutes to do and now I have peace of mind that if any of my belongings do get stolen, there’s a good chance I’ll get them back.

Sharon Marsh, SLH’s Community Safety Manager said:

We are able to offer this service by working in partnership with Merseyside Police who will assist us with registering as many tenants as we can.  Tenants can also register their belongings themselves by logging onto the Immobilise database where they will be given a secure login.  Once registered, we ask tenants to tell us so that we can give people stickers to put in their windows which we hope will deter potential burglars.

SLH and Merseyside Police launched the scheme following consultation with residents in Speke. Once 25% of residents on a street sign-up, they will be issued with free street signs that advertise that the area takes part in the Immobilise
scheme.

To read the source story please go to:
www.24dash.com/news/housing/2015-05-12-New-scheme-launched-in-South-Liverpool-to-deter-burglars

Crime, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, Police, Recipero

Recipero’s 2014 Mobile Device Crime Facts and Figures

2014 was a busy year for Recipero with our customers checking over $4 Billion worth of devices using our solutions. 

We have pulled a few more more facts and figures from our Crime Reduction Ecosystem that are summarised in the attached infographic “2014 Mobile Device Crime Facts and Figures”.

To learn more about Recipero’s Crime Reduction Ecosystem and our solutions that contribute to it, please visit our main website at www.recipero.com. 

Recipero 2014 Mobile Device Crime Facts and Figures

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

Police advise residents to log their gifts

Northumbria Police NewsPolice are urging people to get their new gifts logged to keep them out of the hands of thieves.

The Northumberland Gazette has reported that Northumbria Police are advising residents to get new bikes, phones, electricals, tools and other valuables registered with free property logging website Immobilise.com

And those who received iPads, iPhones and other similar smartphones and tablets for Christmas are urged to activate built-in GPS systems and download apps which help locate stolen property.

The immediate crime prevention activity will mean if new property is stolen and later recovered it can be returned to the rightful owner, as well as potentially catching criminals in possession of stolen goods.

The advice is part of Operation Soundwave – a campaign aimed at cutting volume crime and tackling opportunist thieves – which is ongoing over the festive season.

Immobilise is the world’s largest register of property where members of the public can log their valuables – anything such as mobile phones, bikes, tools, electricals and gardening equipment. It’s free to register and takes just a few minutes to sign up.

Ownership details can be viewed by police across the country on the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR), which allows officers to check a recovered item and instantly find the owner.

Northumbria Police Superintendent Mick Paterson said:

Many people will have received devices such as iPhones, games consoles and laptops for Christmas and I’m sure crime prevention is not something which is at the forefront of people’s mind when they have just received gifts and are enjoying festivities.

But I’d like to remind people that it’s important to take a few moments to take a note of the serial number and register with immobilise where an image can be uploaded and the serial number recorded.

It means if it is stolen and recovered, it can be returned to the rightful owner as well as ensuring those found in possession of it can be dealt with, potentially preventing further crime.

The more people that register with immobilise, the easier it is to return stolen property and the more difficult it is for criminals to profit from their crimes.

Gadget-lovers are also being urged to make the most of tracking technology to stay one step ahead of thieves.

Supt Paterson added:

We of course would urge everyone to protect their property from thieves in the first place, such as making sure phones are secured in zip pockets or handbags, not leaving items lying around on pub or cafe tables and never leaving electronic items on show in a vehicle.

However, if such equipment is stolen, taking this simple step can make the difference between losing the item forever or having it tracked, located and seized by police.

Modern technology has its place alongside the more traditional police work and we’ll continue to combine all investigative techniques to cut crime across Northumbria and stop thieves in their tracks.

For more crime prevention information visit http://www.northumbria.police.uk/crimeprevention, while people are urged to sign up to free property register Immobilise at www.immobilise.com

It’s also vital residents report anything suspicious to police straight away so they can investigate. Police can be called on 101, or to report a crime ongoing dial 999.

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

Sussex Police urge residents to register on Immobilise to help identify recovered property

Sussex Police Operation MagpieSussex Police are urging the public to join the battle against burglars by logging their valuables on the Immobilise National Property Register which allows police and the public to work together to make stolen items too hot to handle.

Residents can enter the details of their possessions on the free website and report when they have been stolen.

Police officers not just in Sussex but around the UK can then check the details of items that they find or seize against the database. By confirming that the seized items had been stolen, officers can then look to prosecute whoever they were seized from for burglary or handling stolen goods – and can return the valuables to their rightful owners.

Sussex Police is encouraging residents to use Immobilise as part of Operation Magpie, the force’s crackdown on burglary across the county.

In support of Operation Magpie and Immobilise Registration Sussex Police have also produced an informative video that can be watched on youtube: Sussex Police Youtube video promoting Immobilise

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Betts said:

When our officers respond to reports of burglary, they often cannot get enough detailed information about the items which have been stolen – without old boxes for electrical items or photographs of jewellery for example it can be very difficult to accurately identify what has been taken.

Better information greatly increases the chances of us being able to reunite stolen property with its rightful owner, helps us to get a better picture of which burglaries could be linked and gives us the evidence we need to prove that property is stolen.

That helps us to link items to burglars and those trading in stolen goods and means we can get offenders off the streets and into the courts.

Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, is backing the campaign urging residents to register their property. She said:

I’d like to see as many residents as possible playing their part in helping to beat burglary in Sussex.

It’s simple – and it’s free – to register your personal items on the website and I hope people will do so. As well as making it easier for the police to track down registered owners, it can also act as a deterrent as it makes it harder for thieves to sell items on because they can be identified.

As well as registering mobile phones and electrical items with serial numbers, residents can also register other items by uploading photographs and giving a description.

They can also use the website to instantly access a list of all their property and to print off certificates of ownership if they need to make a claim to their insurance company.

You can register your property in just a few minutes by visiting www.immobilise.com.

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

Immobilise helps Hull bike shops and police crackdown on cycle theft

The Hull Daily Mail has reported that bike  shop owners are joining forces with police to tackle the scourge of cycle theft. Participating stores are encouraging people that purchase new bikes to register them on the online Immobilise National Property Database.

If the bike is stolen and recovered, police will be able to check the database via their NMPR system and return it to its owner.

Chris Hardy, Hull’s secondhand dealers officer, said:

Cycle stores have been quick to embrace the opportunity to support the police with this initiative, which is a fantastic opportunity for their customers to get their cycles registered on Immobilise before they leave the store.

By increasing the number of cycles registered online, I hope we can reduce cycle thefts in the city, as thieves will be reluctant to take property that is identifiable and can lead to prosecution for stealing the cycles or even handling stolen property.

As well as cycles, other property can be registered by the public on to the system once an account has been set up.

Bike theft has been rising in the city with an increase in shed and garage break-ins.

Ainthorpe Primary School pupil Grace Horton, nine, was reunited with her beloved bike three days after a burglary at her family’s home in West Hull. It had been stamped and added to Immobilise during an event run by police at the school.

Her mum Julie said:

She was inconsolable when I told her it had been stolen, even when I said I would buy her a new bike.

She said she just wanted her old one back.

Grace’s bike was found dumped outside a house three days after the break-in last month. The occupant called the police, who checked the their systems and realised it belonged to Grace.

Miss Horton said:

She was absolutely over the moon when the police said she could have her bike back.

I am so pleased she had it stamped, otherwise we never would have seen it again.

For more information please visit:

The Immobilise Property Register: www.immoblise.com

The Humberside Police website: www.humberside.police.uk

For the source story please go to: www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-bike-shops-crackdown-cycle-theft 

 

Immobilise, NMPR, Police, Report My Loss

Immobilise helps Police recover stolen property worth over £3 million

South Yorkshire Police have recovered stolen property valued over £3million from criminals who are intent on causing misery to South Yorkshire residents and motorists.

Fishing tackle, quad bikes, jewellery, building materials and a lorry carrying a crane are just some of the more unusual items seized by officers since the launch of Operation Lockdown in October 2013.

Electrical items, mainly sat navs, car stereos, TVs, mobile phones and games consoles, have also been recovered from burglaries and vehicle crimes, and where possible, returned to their owners.

Chief Inspector Iain Chorlton said:

Having valuable or personal items stolen from your home or car is a distressing experience so any property we recover and return to people is good news.

We’re doing our utmost to track down criminals and recover stolen items but the public can help us, and more importantly themselves, by registering their property on the Immobilise website.

The online database is quick and free to use, and could help individuals to get their items back if they are lost or stolen. We know that people would rather not have anything stolen in the first place but thanks to Immobilise and the action we are taking, life is becoming more difficult for thieves.

The Force is deploying ‘sting’ vehicles across the county and officers are working closely with Crimestoppers to maximise intelligence and add to the thousand-plus arrests that have already been made during Operation Lockdown.

Between 1 October 2013 and 12 January 2014, police recovered stolen property linked to burglary and vehicle crime in South Yorkshire worth an estimated £3,017,629.

South Yorkshire Police would love to return stolen items to their owners and people can register their valuables free of charge at www.immobilise.com.

Further information about home and vehicle security is available in the Help and advice section of the Force’s website.

Anyone with information about burglary or vehicle crime should contact South Yorkshire Police on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

View the source story at: www.southyorks.police.uk

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Recipero

CheckMEND celebrates its 5th Anniversary in the U.S.

checkMEND-logo-color-highresCheckMEND is proud to be celebrating its 5th year of providing North America’s most reputable cell phone and mobile device history checking service.

The past 5 years have seen a great deal of change in global recommerce markets. This incredible growth has being driven by continual consumer demand for the latest and greatest mobile devices, which in turn has led to an ever-increasing number of second-hand devices being traded.

Environmental factors and regulatory issues have also been key drivers in how the market has developed for providers of trade-in and recycling programmes, all of which have resulted in soaring demand for CheckMEND.

CheckMEND’s commitment to the market has earned its reputation as a trusted third party and its service has become an embedded part of millions of transactions each year.

  • For retailers, recyclers, and other businesses handling second-hand devices, use of CheckMEND helps traders avoid lost, blocked and stolen devices, ensures compliance, and has a record of strong ROI.
  • For consumers using eBay, Craigslist or any other re-sale marketplace, a CheckMEND report can not only indicate a device’s current status, it also reports on other factors that can influence its value.
  • For Police and law-enforcement agencies, working with CheckMEND can cut investigation time, reduce costs, and contribute to the reduction of personal property crime.

Gazelle, a leader in consumer electronics trade-in was CheckMEND’s first U.S. customer.  Matt Rowe, VP General Counsel at Gazelle said:

“Gazelle has experienced greater than 100 percent growth in volume for the past several years. With increased volume comes an increase in attempts to trade stolen devices. CheckMEND helps protect our business from that risk and better serve our customers.”

Mark Harman, CEO of Recipero the provider of CheckMEND, commented:

“The U.S. is currently our largest and fastest-growing market. To meet this need 12 months ago we committed investment in all areas of the service particularly in hardware infrastructure, software architecture, and support systems. Our investment ensures CheckMEND is extremely well placed to meet the high-volume, high availability needs of our U.S. clients today and in the future. It is fantastic that this has already been recognised by some of the U.S.’s largest organisations”

Today CheckMEND assists everyone from eBay users to mega retailers and recyclers like GameStop and Gazelle avoid lost, blocked and stolen devices.

GameStop has more than 4,200 U.S. stores, all of which have an active smartphone trade-in program. CheckMEND is a key part of their in-store process where speed and reliability is critical.

Sean Cleland, Director of Recommerce at GameStop said:

“Integrating the Recipero CheckMEND technology with our POS systems and refurbishment facilities was simple and efficient. Their product is an integral part of our efforts to protect our customers and be in full compliance with local regulations.”

Notes for Editors

CheckMEND is provided by Recipero, a company trusted by thousands of data providers to securely aggregate, analyse and interrogate data.  Recipero’s data and analytics are used globally by law enforcement agencies, wireless carriers, insurers, recyclers, retailers and consumers.

Links:

CheckMEND: www.checkmend.com

Recipero: www.recipero.com

GameStop: www.gamestop.com

Gazelle: www.gazelle.com

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

York residents invited to register valuables on national Immobilise database

PCSOs Rachel Shaw and Tony Barge show Tracey Simpson-Laing how they use the new scanning equipment. (Source: York Press)

The York Press has reported that residents worried about their property being stolen are being invited to register their items on the Immobilise National Property Register to make it easier to return stolen goods to their owners.

City of York Council is urging people to register their property free of charge using new technology invested in by North Yorkshire Police and the Safer York Partnership during the week-long national campaign. The authority teamed up with police to provide £36,000 to fund the Hermes and Apollo kits.

Hermes allows the police and other organisations to upload details of property by recording identifying features, size or serial numbers, which can be retrieved from the Immobilise National Property Register that the police are able to access securely via the PNC and numerous other interfaces.

Apollo is a hand-held scanner which the police and PCSOs can use to scan an item, store its data on the National Mobile Property Register and retrieve the information when suspected stolen goods come to light.

The eleven sessions for the public are being held so people can either have small items such as smartphones or laptops registered, or can bring details – including photographs – of valuable furniture or serial numbers of bikes, for example.

Coun Linsay Cunningham-Cross, cabinet member for crime, said:

Safer York Partnership is keen to use innovative technology to deliver more effective and efficient responses to tackling crime.

By taking a few minutes to register their property on Hermes and Apollo and pick up security advice, residents can not only help prevent their belongings being stolen in the first place, but can be assured that if something is stolen, they are more likely to get it back.

Supt Phil Cain said:

Often the police recover items during searches or by other means, and it’s not always clear if those goods are stolen.

By using the Immobilise register, they can find out instantly. This not only saves officer time, but helps progress investigations and means the rightful owner gets their belongings back.

The sessions will take place at the council’s West Offices, in Station Rise, on the 19th and 20th November, between 9am and 3pm.

There are also sessions at York Explore library, in Library Square, on Friday 21st from 1pm to 5pm, and on Sunday 23rd from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

There will also be sessions at York University Library from today until Friday, 9am to 3pm, or at York Art Gallery, on Saturday and Sunday, from 9am to 3pm.

To view the source article please go to: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/

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

Northumbria Police aim to Immobilise thieves and property crime

Northumbria Police BadgeNorthumbria Police are urging residents to safeguard their valuables and avoid being targeted by thieves.

Officers are holding free property logging sessions at the Newcastle Shopping Park in Byker on Tuesday, July 23, Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25, from 9am to 3pm daily.

People are invited to come along to the mobile police office in the car park and officers will register items for them on www.immobilise.com – The UK Nation Property Register. You don’t need to bring the items with you, just bring the details of them and an officer will open your account which you will be able to add to at any time.

It only takes a couple of minutes to use the site to record the make, model and serial numbers of property from mobiles, iPods, TVs and laptops to bicycles, jewellery, power tools and portable sat navs. The secure site can only be accessed by the registered user.

Police check any items they recover against the database; if it’s been registered they can easily identify the owner and return the property to them – even if it hasn’t been reported stolen.

It’s simple to use and residents can add more items to the site when they get home, to make sure all valuable property is recorded and kept up to date.

This is part of Northumbria Police’s volume crime campaign – Operation Soundwave – aimed at ‘turning up the volume on crime’ and silencing opportunist criminals during the summer months.

Neighbourhood Inspector Deborah Alderson, said:

By holding this crime prevention three-day event at the start of the school holidays we hope people will take advantage of the opportunity to get help security logging their property.

At this time of year we often see an increase in opportunist theft from homes and vehicles. To deter thieves security log your property on the crime prevention site then, if an item is stolen and subsequently recovered by police it can be reunited with its rightful owners.

We continue to do everything possible to trace the people involved in theft and burglaries in our communities and put them before the courts, but we are also asking residents to play their part by taking simple crime prevention measures.

I’d also encourage residents to report anything suspicious they see in their neighbourhood to police at the earliest opportunity so we can investigate.

If you can’t get along to the crime prevention event at Newcastle Shopping Park officers are encouraging residents to register their property themselves on a free crime prevention website – www.immobilise.com – and increase the chance of getting any stolen items returned.

For further crime prevention advice and the source article visit www.northumbria.police.uk

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Police, Recipero

CheckMEND and GameStop Partner to Strengthen Electronic Trade-in Program

CheckMEND the world’s leading due diligence service for used consumer electronics today announced it has secured an agreement with GameStop to deploy its software in all GameStop’s US stores to identify devices that are not eligible for trade.

Developed by UK-based Recipero, CheckMEND is a unique, cutting edge system that allows retailers and recyclers to proactively identify unacceptable devices and stop them from entering the supply chain.

Using data that is aggregated from over 20,000 data sources (including the FBI) CheckMEND provides access to its service to both enterprise and consumers. GameStop is the first major retailer in the US to integrate its application at point of sale. With a data warehouse containing over 150 billion records of information that is relevant to any buyer of used consumer electronics, CheckMEND is fast becoming the “go-to” data provider for this type of information.

Consumers are becoming more aware of the value that exists in their old electronics. That precipitates a need for reliable data and methods to ensure that retailers are protecting consumers. GameStop is leading the way for other retailers to follow suit.

“We are delighted that GameStop has stepped up to the forefront of consumer protection” said Adrian Portlock Founder of CheckMEND. “Our product allows GameStop to protect their customers, their associates in store and their reputable brand by deterring unwanted activity. GameStop has set the bar for other responsible retailers.” “GameStop will continue to invest in technology solutions that offer our customers the best and safest choice to buy, sell or trade video games, consoles and electronics” said Joe Gorman Vice President of Mobile at GameStop. “Working with CheckMEND, we have further enhanced our process, and we are already reaping the benefits of the service in our stores and our state of the art refurbishment center.”

About CheckMEND
CheckMEND is a service provided by Recipero Limited, a privately owned U.K. company, which has specialized since 2001 in the collection of data relating to the history of used consumer electronics (www.checkmend.com). It has grown into the biggest online provider of this type of information to both the trade and the consumer and is currently focused on expanding its operations in the USA. General information on Recipero can be found on the company’s corporate website at www.recipero.com.

About GameStop Corp.
GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is the world’s largest multichannel video game retailer. GameStop’s retail network and family of brands include 6,602 company-operated stores in 15 countries worldwide and online at www.GameStop.com. The network also includes: www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer® magazine, the leading multi-platform video game publication; Spawn Labs, a streaming technology company; a digital PC game distribution platform available at www.GameStop.com/PC; and an online consumer electronics marketplace available at www.BuyMyTronics.com. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company’s corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @www.facebook.com/GameStop.