Tag Archives: Stolen Property

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

Avon & Somerset Police launch unusual crime awareness campaign

Avon & Somerset Police have launched an unusual crime awareness & immobilise registration campaign for Christmas. Reported by the Bristol Evening Post, shoppers can learn how to stay safe this Christmas with the help of a mocked up crime scene.

Avon and Somerset Police have transformed an empty shop unit in The Mall Bristol, Broadmead, into a rather unusual information centre.

Experts from Bike UK, the Safer Bristol Partnership and the police will be on hand to advise members of the public on all safety issues, from bike locks and seasonal burglary to late night transport and drink and drug awareness.

One of two large window displays will contain a crime scene for members of the public to investigate. The other will be have a bike security theme. Police will be urging shoppers to register presents like laptops and bikes on the national property database, Immobilise.

The database is used by police to trace the owners of suspected stolen property.

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.

There will also be the chance to win a Saracen mountain bike, free T-Shirt printing with the police’s Streetwise team after school on December 9 and 16, and balloons to fingerprint and take home.

PCSO Warren Vincent-Rodgers from the Broadmead and Cabot Circus police team came up with the idea for the shop.

He said:

We tested the shop in The Mall last year with great success, speaking to more than 1,000 Bristol residents about all sorts of security and safety issues.

You can’t really have a more striking window display than a crime scene, and with so many TV programmes getting children and adults interested in this area of work, it’s a fantastic opportunity to see at first hand the techniques CSIs use to find clues and help solve cases.

Everyone is invited to note down their theory of what happened and will be entered into a prize draw.

It should make a welcome distraction from Christmas shopping.

The shop will open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, on Thursdays until 7pm, and on Saturdays until 3pm. For more on immobilise go to www.immobilise.com.

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

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

Immobilise the Thieves this Christmas – Tayside Police

With Christmas fast approaching Tayside Police is urging those who receive mobile phones and any other valuable electrical items to register them at www.immobilise.com

Mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 and MP4 players, and sat nav systems are the most commonly stolen items in Tayside. Unless they are registered, they are also least likely to be returned to their owners if found.

The ‘immobilise’ database is an on-line property search, used by the police service to search for any identifiable item of property. Once a phone or other piece of electrical equipment is registered, officers can use it to look up its IMEI number or unique registration number, view the registered owner’s details, find out if it has been reported stolen to the police anywhere in the UK, and in the case of a mobile phone, which network it is on. All this means that you improve your chances of getting your phone back if it is lost or stolen.

Divisional Crime Prevention Officer Colin Brough said,

These days mobile phones are used for more than just making phone calls. Many people have their whole lives on them – family pictures, important emails, personal and business contact details. We realise that if your phone is lost or stolen it can have a major impact on your life.

We want as many people as possible to get their phones and other property registered on the database this Christmas. It’s really simple, takes only a couple of minutes and better still it’s absolutely free. It means that if a mobile phone, laptop, sat nav or whatever is found, or if we stop someone with any of these items that we believe do not to belong to them, we can quickly check it on the database, and return it to the rightful owner.

We hope that by encouraging more and more people to register their property, the message that it’s just not worth it will get back to those who are thinking about stealing a phone, laptop, sat nav or MP3 player.

To view the source article please go to: www.tayside.police.uk

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

Cumbria Police increase festive burglary patrols

The News & Star in Cumbria has reported that Police patrols are being stepped up in a bid to stop thieves cashing in on Christmas and spoiling families’ festive season.

Cumbria’s force chiefs also revealed that they had recovered £1,700 of stolen property as part of investigations into a spate of burglaries in north Allerdale.

They have also issued a warning to householders, saying: “Don’t let thieves spoil your Christmas” and urged them to keep possessions “safe, hidden and locked”.

Police teams across the county are distributing a festive flyer, with tips on how to keep valuables, cars and houses safe at a time when burglaries traditionally increase.

PC Simon Evans, of north Cumbria’s community safety squad, said:

By following these messages, you can hopefully have a crime-free Christmas.

Crime-cutting efforts in the area will include the promotion of a website – www.immobilise.com – that allows people to register property for free, recording unique information that can be used by police to trace owners of stolen property.

Inspector Dennis Kelly, who heads west Cumbria’s burglary action team, said:

We are raising awareness of the importance of securing homes effectively and asking for the community’s help to provide us with information if they see anything or anyone acting suspiciously.

If you see something, please call us. Your small piece of information could help us to build up an intelligence picture and could mean that we can intervene and stop a crime from happening.

To read the source article in full please go to: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/

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

Registered mobile phone results in arrest for South Yorkshire Police

South Yorkshire Police have reported that a stolen mobile phone that had been registered on the national UK database, Immobilise has resulted in the arrest of a man in Doncaster.
A Twenty five year old man was arrested on Tuesday, 28 September for being drunk and disorderly in the Town Centre.

He was brought into the police station by Acting Police Sergeant Sharon Wood and PC Steve Roberts from the Town Centre Safer Neighbourhood Team. They checked his mobile phone against the Immobilise database and it was identified as being stolen. He admitted he had stolen the phone from a pub in Thorne last year, which when they checked had been reported to the police at this time. He was charged with theft and drunk and disorderly behaviour.

Police are hoping this result will encourage more people to register their belongings with Immobilise. It is the UK’s national property register, which allows people to create secure and private portfolios online for their personal property.

It is not just phones that can be registered any belongings that have a serial number including electrical items such as televisions and cameras can all be registered.

Inspector Jakki Hardy said:

We hope this result will encourage people to register their property on the Immobilise database. If this phone hadn’t been registered it would have been very difficult to know it was stolen and reunite it with the owner.

Police officers in Doncaster have also been targeting shops across Doncaster including CEX, Cash Generator and small mobile phone shops to check for any stolen mobile phones. Officers use scanners to scan the barcode on the back of the phones, which retrieves data from the IMEI number, and states if the phone is lost, stolen or blocked.

Inspector Jakki Hardy added:

Registering goods also acts as a deterrent to opportunistic thieves as they are unable to sell stolen property as easily if it has been registered. We will continue to do these checks and identify any stolen property.

To read the source story in full please go to: South Yorkshire Police

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

Kent Police issue advice on protecting your personal property

The Kent Police website offers some great information and advice on protecting your personal property. The advice includes personal safety, securing your home, personal property and vehicle security. Much of what you will read on the site is commonly issued advice, however the Essex website has gathered it all together in a useful easy to digest form that is relevant to all of us regardless of where we live.

One of the key messages that comes across is the importance of marking your possessions and registering them on the Immobilise Property Register.

The police recover many items that have been lost or stolen. By security marking items that have financial or sentimental value, it is easier for the police to identify them and return them to you.

Marking your property may also act as a deterrent to thieves, who do not want to be caught holding or passing on stolen items.

Always include information that will help identify you as the owner of the property, for example, a postcode.

For more information please see the following links:

Kent Police: www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice.html

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

Has your bike been stolen?

This is Gloucestershire recently reported that cyclists who have had their bikes stolen had the opportunity to be reunited with them.

A cycle viewing and coding session was held at Cheltenham Police Station in Lansdown Road. The event was put on so people who have reported their bicycles stolen could see if they had been found by police.

It was also a chance for cyclists to find out more about protecting their bikes through the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR) which is accessed by the public via the www.immobilise.com website.

Police community support officer Kim Graham, who organised the event, said:

We now have more than 1,100 people who have registered through us with the NMPR thanks to the local cycle shops and police operations.

Officers were also security marking and encouraging cyclists to register their bikes on immobilise.

By visiting the website www.immobilise.com, a free, private and secure portfolio of personal property can be created and items added to the NMPR.

If the bike, or registered item, is then lost or stolen the website can be used to tell the police, insurers and the second-hand trade to help in finding it and catching the thief.

To read the source story please go to: http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/

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

BBC features West Midlands Police’s Digi-bike promoting Immobilise

BBC news yesterday reported that the West Midlands Police in Dudley have just unveiled a new tool in their drive to reduce crime. The device is a four wheeled pedal powered “Digi-bike”, providing a multimedia message to passersby, broadcasting Bluetooth and video and audio messages from its screens and speakers.

One of the key crime prevention messages that the digi-bike is promoting is the registration of your valued property on the Immobilise National Property Register (www.immobilise.com).

To view the BBC video go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10947119

To read the expanded BBC news story go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-black-country-10944247

CheckMEND, CheckMEND USA, Crime, Immobilise, Immobilize, Lost Property, Mobile Phones, NMPR, Police, Recipero, Report My Loss

CheckMEND officially adopted by phone recycling industry and Home Office code of practice

Today July 23rd it was officially agreed that CheckMEND would be the first approved due diligence service to be used and officially endorsed under a new Home Office/recycling industry code of practice.

The signing of the new code of practice by over 90% of the mobile phone recycling industry means that for the first time there are agreed guidelines for the checking of handsets offered for sale to the industry and this includes using the CheckMEND service to check the National Mobile Phone/Property Register.

Adrian Portlock CEO of Recipero the operator of CheckMEND said:

This is a major step forward for the industry and CheckMEND and we are really pleased the industry has recognised their responsibilities in checking products they are buying, this model needs to be extended to all handlers of used goods and retailers taking trade ins and we will be pushing for this to be the case, but this is an excellent start.

For more information please see the following sites:

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

Leicester police urge residents to register their property on Immobilise

Police in Leicester have visited over 500 homes in just two days as part of their commitment to reducing burglaries.

Police Community Support Officers have knocked on 523 doors, personally spoken to 324 residents about their home security and provided them with a burglary prevention pack in the Hinckley Road area of the city. At homes where there was no response, a pack was posted through the letterbox.

The main aim of the initiative is to encourage residents to register their property on the UK National Property Register, Immobilise, which is supported by all UK police forces. Members of the public can log on to www.immobilise.com to register the serial numbers of expensive electronic items such as televisions, laptops, mobile phones and MP3 players. These details will assist the police in tracing property and returning it to its owner in the event it is stolen.

Chief Inspector Chris Baker said:

Immobilise is a national database that’s free to use and takes just minutes to register your property. It is used by all police forces to assist in identifying the rightful owners of recovered stolen property. Whilst insurance may cover the cost of a stolen laptop, it cannot replace lost family photos or important work stored on it.

Where possible officers have spent time with homeowners to personally explain how the Immobilise scheme works and

arranged for residents to have a personal visit from Leicestershire Constabulary’s Crime Reduction Officer or referred them to the Council for free security improvements to their home.

The Immobilise initiative, which will be rolled out to other areas of the city over the summer months, forms part of Operation Itchen – a city-wide campaign to reduce burglaries. As well as increased high visibility patrols and the targeting of known offenders, a number of other initiatives will run throughout the summer in conjunction with the Safer Leicester Partnership.

Anyone with information about burglaries in Leicester is urged to call Leicestershire Constabulary on 0116 222 2222 or Crimestoppers, and anonymous, on 0800 555 111.

To read the source story in full please go to: www.leics.police.uk/

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

CheckMEND leads Bristol Police to successful prosecution of stolen goods seller

Recipero’s CheckMEND service in conjunction with the Police’s NMPR system has proven to be a key tool in the identification and prosecution of crimes related to stolen goods.

On the 14th May, a man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for handling stolen goods. Alexander Smith, aged 40, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court after a two year investigation conducted by Avon and Somerset Police’s burglary team and crime reduction unit in Bristol.

Officers were able to prove that Smith had been knowingly buying stolen mobile phones by utilising an online system known as CheckMEND. This system allows members of the public to check if a mobile phone is stolen before buying it.

Police searched a shop in East Street, Bedminster and identified more than 20 phones that were stolen from victims in both burglaries and robberies, many of which had occurred in the South Bristol area. A stolen pedal cycle was also found at Smith’s home address.

During one of these incidents, a female victim positively identified her stolen phone in Smith’s shop. Smith then demanded £40 from the victim before he would return her phone.
PC Frank Simonds, from Bristol Crime Reduction Unit, said:

The use of CheckMEND technology now allows the police to prove if stolen phones are being bought and sold by second hand retailers.

We will be relentless in our pursuit of those dealing in stolen goods.

Many phones that were proven to be stolen had been registered by owners on the Immobilise database. Registering phones enables the police to return them to their rightful owners.
Members of the public can register their phone for free by visiting www.immobilise.com

Members of the public can check if a mobile phone is stolen by visiting www.checkmend.com.

Retailers can receive advice on protecting their business from handling stolen goods as part of Operation Recover run by Avon and Somerset Police.

To read the source release in full please go to: Avon & Somerset Police