Mobile phone safety tips

In this age of miniaturised technology and state-of-the-art mobile phones with few built in anti-theft devices, we are all responsible for taking precautions

ALWAYS lock the keypad on your phone with a PIN number.

DON'T leave your phone in places where thieves can see it, or use it in places where you think it could be taken.

TRY to mark your phone by writing your home postcode on it using an ultra violet pen. This will help the police to return it to you if it is found.

IF anyone asks to use your phone in an emergency don't give it to them. If necessary you can call the emergency services for them. If the person insists that you hand it over, call 999 and tell the person that you are doing so.

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Lap top safety tips

They may be mobile, but don't carry them around if you can help it.

Think smart - by carrying your laptop in a rucksack or briefcase, offenders won't know you have one.

If you must carry your laptop, keep hold of it and use the shoulder strap.

Internal security won't necessarily prevent a theft, but if your laptop is marked conspicuously it will put thieves off.

And if your laptop is stolen, by marking it with an ultraviolet pen will enable the police to identify it as yours much more quickly.

Don't leave your laptop on show in your car - even if you are in it.

Be aware of who is around you if using your laptop in public.

If someone confronts you in the street and asks for your laptop, make a noise and attract the attention of other passers-by, but use common sense - don't put yourself in danger.

Do not leave your laptop unattended at any time. Having them small and light makes them convenient to use, but also easy to steal.

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Laptop theft - Trackers fitted to students' PCs

University students in Leeds have had tracking devices fitted to their laptops as part of a campaign to prevent them becoming victims of crime.

West Yorkshire Police have already increased patrols in the Hyde Park, Headingley and Woodhouse areas, where many of the city's students live.

The force has also produced a series of podcasts with basic security advice.

Eighty students signed up to have high-tech tracking devices fitted to their laptops for free.
More laptops were stolen in burglaries at student accommodation in Leeds last year than any other item.

Crime reduction officer David Harrison said: "The theft of a laptop tends to be something that people don't think about until it happens to them.

"For a student this could have a massive impact as they may have stored all of their coursework on there."

West Yorkshire Police's website has a new section where students can download the podcasts, find security advice and details of how they can get tracking devices fitted on to their property.

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Mobile Phone Theft

Recently published Home Office research shows that children of school age are at least five times more likely to become victims of mobile phone theft, including robbery, than adults.

Information for the report, Mobile Phone Theft, was taken from the British Crime Survey (BCS) 2000, two school surveys and analysis of recorded police robbery figures, and confirms that mobile phone crime has dramatically increased in recent years, rising by 190% since 1995 (subscriber numbers have increased by almost 600% since 1995).

Mobile phones are now involved in 28% of all robberies compared to 8% three years ago.

The Government’s initiative to tackle mobile phone crime includes police targeting of hotspots and persistent offenders, education programmes in schools and relaying crime prevention messages to retailers and operators together with a well publicised campaign.

The Home Office is also exploring, in association with the mobile phone industry and the police, the feasibility of piloting a text-bombing initiative similar to the type successfully carried out in the Netherlands.

Key findings from the report show that:

In 23 per cent of incidents victims were using their mobile phone or had it on display when it was targeted

Victims of mobile phone robbery tend to be younger than victims of other types of robbery - 48% of victims are under 18

Mobile phone robbery is in the main a male on male activity - 90 per cent of offenders are male; and 80 per cent of victims are male

Two thirds of robberies are committed by offenders working in groups

The peak age for offenders is 16. One third of all offenders were aged 15 or 16

Mobile phone robbery is more prevalent in city centres

One third of all robberies involve a mobile phone only

Victims under 18 were mainly targeted between 2pm and 10pm, while those aged 18 and over were targeted between 10pm and 6am (more phone robberies than other robberies occurred during the early hours of the morning)

Download the full report ‘Mobile Phone Theft’ PDF (317 Kb) from the Home Office website

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iPod theft on the increase

iPod thefts have contributed to a significant rise in street crime, according to the police.
In some parts of the country the number of muggings was up by 40 per cent in 2004 and by an average of five per cent across England and Wales.

In addition to iPods and other MP3 players, the police also identified the latest Internet-enabled phone models as a favourite target for thieves.

In Merseyside, where street robberies rose by 36 per cent,many of the victims were students and teenagers, according to Chief Superintendent Paul Forrester.
'Some children carry phones and iPods over £600 and they are making themselves walking targets,' he told the Sunday Times.

Moreover, figures from the Metropolitan police indicate that the problem is only getting worse with the number of iPod thefts and snatches increasing fivefold since November 2004. Insurers have also reported a sharp rise in the number of iPod theft claims they have paid out on.
Earlier this year, the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Ian Blair said that the iPod's white headphones act like a beacon to thieves. Owners were urged to keep the player out of sight and use the remote control where possible. Since then Apple has stopped including the remote control as standard though it is available for an extra £25.

Credits to: Simon Aughton

Thieves targeting car equipment

Motorists in Leicestershire are being warned about a spate of satellite navigation systems being stolen from vehicles across the county. Leicestershire Police said more than 40 systems, which cost about £300 each, have been taken by thieves since April. Officers are urging owners to remove the devices when leaving their cars to deter thieves.
Police said the systems were often not security coded in the same way car stereos were.