Press Release

PUBLIC ENCOURAGED TO REGISTER THEIR PRIZE POSSESSIONS

5 December 2006

WHAT: Camden Community Safety Partnership encourage people to register mobile electronic equipment on www.immobilise.com

WHERE: Mayor Jill Fraser and Executive Member for Community Safety Ben Rawlings at Town Hall Extension, Argyle Street.

WHEN: Both Cllr Fraser and Cllr Rawlings will attend on December 12 at 12noon. Reporters invited to register their mobile equipment between 11am and 3pm.

Camden residents and employers are being urged to register their electronic equipment free on www.immobilise.com to make it more likely they are reunited with their property if lost or stolen.

By registering items on the nationwide website police can access the owner’s details via a central database enabling them to return any lost or stolen goods.

Anyone who registers their property on the website can also use it for insurance claims by using the details and pictures taken of the items when registering as evidence.

Camden Council is the first local authority in London to register all of its mobile equipment including mobile phones, laptops and PDAs.

Mayor Jill Fraser will launch the scheme on December 12 at 12noon when the public are invited to bring along their personal items to be scanned by the police.

Anything that has a serial number, such as an MP3 or DVD player, a bicycle or television, can be registered.

All items registered on the website which are then lost or stolen will also be entered onto www.checkmend.com - the global stolen property website - when members update their personal information. This enables people buying any electronic equipment to check whether it has been stolen.

Cllr Ben Rawlings, Executive Member for Community Safety, said:

“Crime happens when a willing perpetrator finds a vulnerable target and has the opportunity to commit an offence without being detected. We need to tackle all three aspects of this, through consistent and reliable enforcement, intervention, and by helping people make themselves and their property less vulnerable.

“With the immobilise scheme we are encouraging everyone in Camden to play their part in making our communities safer by reducing the risk of crime, through registering their valuables.”

Camden Council and the police at community events will use the scanners across the borough to enable members of the public to register their electronic goods throughout the year.