Tag Archives: Stolen Property

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

Police urge residents to register valuables

Rochdale Online has reported that Police in the area will be travelling around to encourage Rochdale residents to register their valuables on Immobilise.

Officers will be at Morrisons Supermarket, Heywood, Asda on Dane Street, Rochdale and Tesco at Middleton Gardens, Middleton between 10am and 6pm on Tuesday 13 January to demonstrate the use of the UK’s National Property Register “Immobilise”.

Nicola Bamford, reporter for Rochdale Online, said;

…by using “Immobilise” owners can put up details to be used for comparison should stolen items be recovered from criminals. The database is both simple and free and allows users to add item photographs and certificates of ownership to their accounts as well as immediately alerting law enforcement to the theft of an item.

Currently, “Immobilise” has a running record of 250 cases per week of items being successfully reunited with their owners. Furthermore, the system also aids with insurance claims as some companies may be reluctant to pay compensation to the 18% of cases where theft is due to trivial security negligence, such as leaving a window open.

To read the source article in full please go to: Rochdale Online

CheckMEND, Crime, eBay, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Gwent Police launch high-tech war on thieves

The South Wales Argus has reported that vehicle thieves and shoplifters in Gwent are being targeted by police.

Extra officers are being used this week to capture cars and use specialist number plate recognition equipment to find stolen goods and return them to their rightful owners.

Detective Inspector Peter Jones, who is leading the operation, said

This is a response to the increase in thefts from vehicles during the run-up to Christmas … We know that thieves are stealing number plates, sat navs, audio equipment like CD players and mobile phones. We also know they are selling them on and are working with second hand shops to stop that.

People can register their valuables on the specially designed Immobilise.com website so their goods can be returned if stolen.

Officers from the community safety team will also be out in January showing shoppers how to register their valuables.

Inspector Terry Davies from the team 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.

To view the source article in full please go to: South Wales Argus Newsdesk

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Cops advise on prized prezzies

Police in Lancashire are advising people to register or property mark valuable gifts they receive this Christmas so they can be returned if lost or stolen.

Flat screen TVs, MP3 players, Sat-Navs, laptops and mobile phones all feature on letters to Santa this Christmas. Unfortunately they are also top of the most wanted lists of burglars, robbers and thieves,

said a force spokesman.

On www.immobilise.com owners can register details of lost prized possessions on a database. Police can then access this and check against items found or recovered from suspected criminals.

The online service is free, quick and easy to use.

Police say items marked as registered with Immobilise are less likely to be stolen and households displaying stickers less likely to be targeted by burglars.

To view the source story in full go to: Lancashire Evening Post

Crime, Immobilise, Police

Don’t let Christmas be merry for thieves

It has been reported in the Maidenhead Advertiser that A campaign has been launched by Maidenhead’s PCSOs in a bid to fight burglary and car crime over Christmas.

PCSO Andrew Hitchcock, leading the campaign with colleagues PCSO Amy Shah and PCSO Steph Lewis, said: “We cannot emphasise enough the importance of removing valuables from your car and securing your property when you are not in or away on holiday.”

“Many thieves are opportunist and will try and steal any items they see on display or break into a house they think is insecure. However, by taking a few simple precautions you could be avoiding becoming a victim. Remember that offenders are trying to fund their own Christmas, so don’t make it easy for them.”

Home security tips:

  • Trim overgrown trees and hedges that might obscure lighting or hide a burglar from your neighbours or passers by.
  • If you are going to be out all day, set indoor lamps on timer switches to come on at dusk to give the impression that someone is at home.
  • Consider joining or starting up a neighbourhood watch scheme in your road (contact your local Neighbourhood Watch office via 0845 8 505 505 for more details).
  • ‘Postcode’ your electrical goods, such as DVD players and computers, with an ultra violet pen or permanent marker, and make an inventory of these items including brand names and serial numbers.
  • You can also register all mobile equipment such as cameras and iPods on the national database, www.immobilise.com. The police have access to this database, allowing stolen items to be returned to their owners.
  • Ensure all your external windows and locks are secure, and fit additional locks where necessary.
  • Consider installing motion sensor lighting outside external doors.

To read the source story in full go to: The Maidenhead Advertiser

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

If you love it – register it

Greater Manchester Police is warning residents to register and property mark valuable gifts they get this Christmas so they can be returned if lost or stolen.They are advising people that:

Flat screen TVs, MP3 players, Sat Navs, laptops and mobile phones all feature heavily on letters to Santa this Christmas. Unfortunately they are also top of the most wanted lists of burglars, robbers and thieves.

By registering their valuables on www.immobilise.com owners can put details of their prized possessions on a national database that police can access and compare against items that have been found or recovered from suspected criminals.

The on-line service is totally free and is quick and easy to use. Items marked as being registered with Immobilise are less likely to be stolen, and households displaying Immobilise stickers are less likely to be targeted by burglars.

Almost any item with a serial number recovered by police can be returned to the owner if registered on the database. Users can also add photographs and certificates of ownership to their Immobilise account. Once registered users can update their account with details of new possessions, and take off items they no longer own.

A few minutes on-line can decrease the chances of your most precious possessions being stolen and increase the chances of you getting them back if they are.

To read the source press release go to: Greater Manchester Police

Crime, Immobilise, Police

Be alert to home security in Chester this New Year

Chester Police wants all residents to make sure that thieves do not have a happy New Year. Peter Lawless of the Proactive Policing Team said that:

For burglars New Year’s Eve isn’t a holiday, it’s the perfect time to carry out crime.

Many houses are obviously empty and people are often too busy celebrating to consider they could be potential victims of criminal activity.

By taking some of the steps detailed suggested by the Chester Chronical and below you can reduce the risk of becoming a target for thieves this festive season:

  • Plan your night out, including how to get home safely.
  • At home, always use window and door locks.
  • Don’t leave sets of car keys on display either inside or outside in garage and shed doors.
  • Use timer switches on lights and leave a radio playing to give the impression there is someone at home.
  • Wherever you are, make sure any valuable belongings you have are property marked with your house number and postcode either using UV markers or etching tools. Marking products such as Smart Water are also valuable. Visit www.immobilise.com and register your valuables securely on line – if stolen this will assist the police to identify and return items to you.

Inspector Lawless added:

If you do notice anyone acting suspiciously report it to Cheshire Police. Support us working over Christmas and New Year by helping us to make the festive season safer for all.

To read the source article please go to: The Chester Chronical

Crime, Immobilise, Police

Mark it, lock up and don’t lose it this Christmas

Police in North Somerset are asking young people to help change their families’ security habits.

Neighbourhood Teams are going into schools to promote property marking and the ‘Immobilise’ property database.

Chief Inspector Nick Walker said:

We know thieves are deterred from stealing items which have been marked with a post code because they know that if they are caught with it we will be able to prove it has been stolen.

Marking your property or registering it on www.immobilise.com also means that if your belongings are stolen and recovered by police we can return them to you.

The school visits are part of the district’s Relentless operation on Tuesday December 16 2008, getting out into the community and working with partners to tackle the issues that affect local people.

Officers will also be promoting the property-marking message in high streets across the district, with the constabulary’s Mounted Section on patrol in Weston-super-Mare selling the message too.

CI Walker said:

Your police are working hard to tackle burglars and thieves, but there are some simple steps people can take to deter criminals and help police catch and convict them.

The message is mark it, lock up and don’t lose it this Christmas!

We’re working hard to make North Somerset an even safer place to live, work and visit, but people should play their part and take some simple steps to keep themselves and their property safe.

To read the full press release please go to: Avon and Somerset Police

Crime, Immobilise, Mobile Phones, Police

Police crackdown on Christmas burglaries

The local News Paper Leigh Today has reported that Police are launching a crackdown on burglaries this Christmas:

As part of Operation Guardian, police in the borough are issuing a festive message to make sure people giving gifts don’t hand one to a thief this Christmas.
Officers are warning that the traditional Christmas scene, with a pile of presents under a tree, is a gift of an opportunity for a burglar.

The number of house break-ins rises significantly during the Christmas period as presents tempt burglars in to people’s homes.
Once inside, they take anything they can easily find, including credit cards, cheque books, bags and car keys.
Crime reduction advisor for Wigan division, Wendy O’Neil, said: “Everyone should have a happy and secure Christmas, so I would like to remind people of simple steps to ensure they keep their property safe.
“The sad fact is that more than one in three of all domestic burglaries in the Wigan Borough happen because people do not lock their doors and shut their windows meaning the opportunist thief does not even have to use force to gain access.
“Even if you are in the house you should still lock external doors, and keep windows shut. If the room is stacked full of presents, close the curtains and help to make sure your hard-earned gifts don’t end up in someone else’s hands.”

Police are also urging residents to register their valuables free-of-charge at www.immobilise.com
The online database allows officers to search for lost or stolen items of identifiable property and is the world’s largest free register of ownership details.
Almost any item with a serial number recovered by police can be returned to the owner if it is registered on the database. Users can also add photographs and certificates of ownership to their Immobilise account.

Ms O’Neil added: “Many items we recover from criminals are not given back to their owners, as without some proof of ownership we do not know who they belong to.
“Spending five minutes registering details of your Christmas gifts and other valued possessions for free on www.immobilise.com means that their details are instantly available to us and all other forces across the country.”

To read the orginal article please go to: Leigh Today