BARTON FAYRE HELPS PUT THE BRAKES ON CYCLE AND MOBILE PHONE CRIME
August 31 2005
Members of Gloucester’s Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) will be security marking mobile phones and bicycles at their stand at Barton Fayre on Saturday, September 3, in a bid to help keep crime down.
The service is provided free of charge and CDRP members are hoping that it will help reduce incidents of thefts of pedal cycles and robbery.
In addition, the CDRP recommend that you register your mobile phone for free at www.immobilise.com, a national mobile phone register that already holds the details of over 10 million phones.
CDRP Coordinator, Pat Dabbs, said: “It only takes a couple of minutes and is completely free.
“All you need to do is to enter your contact details and your mobile phone’s 15 digit IMEI number, your phone’s unique serial number. The IMEI number normally appears underneath the battery in your phone, but on most phones can be viewed by pressing *#06#.”
“If the phone is stolen, report it to your network operator as soon as possible. This will enable both the SIM card and the handset to be blocked, just like a stolen credit card.”
“If your phone is recovered you will be contacted and told your phone is safe. The best chance you have of getting your phone back is to register your details.”
PC Kevin Ireland, Crime Reduction Officer for the Forest and Gloucester Division added: “Thieves hate traceable mobile phones as it make them harder to sell. They also hate traceable cycles as it means they run a greater risk of prosecution if caught.
“For the first four months of this new financial year we have seen a further reduction in the incidents of robbery.”
“We need residents to help us to keep these figures reducing by postcoding their property. In addition to security coding mobile phones and bicycles, we will also have a number of ultra violet marking pens to give away, free of charge, for people to mark their belongings at home.”
CDRP Chair, Councillor Bill Crowther, said: “We are delighted with the decrease in overall crime in Gloucester and ask residents and visitors to assist in reducing it still further.”
“We all have a part to play in reducing crime; with a little bit of forethought we can protect our property.”
In addition, the CDRP team will once again be giving away free water bottles to visitors to the stand. Each bottle carries the CDRP logo and a message saying ‘Crime Is Low – Keep It That Way’ and is a means of celebrating the success of the past year when crime in Gloucester reduced significantly.