Free UV pens to help protect your property

FREE ultra-violet pens to mark property are being offered by police to residents in Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood.

Marking your property has many advantages. It can deter thieves from stealing the property in the first place, help the police return your property to you if stolen and recovered and assist in convicting suspects as it acts as evidence that the item was stolen.

Crime Reduction Manager Kelly Woodward said: “Each year, property worth thousands of pounds is recovered by the police and not returned to its rightful owners, simply because it cannot be properly identified. It doesn’t take many minutes to mark your property but it could prove worthwhile in the unfortunate event that you are ever burgled.”

Ultra-violet pens place an invisible mark on your property and can only be seen with the use of an ultra-violet light.
When police officers recover property, which is suspected to be stolen, they use UV lamps to check the property for markings.
They can use the marking to trace the property to its lawful owner, prove the item was stolen and use the evidence to prosecute.

Free UV pens are available at the following police station receptions and contact points (subject to availability and limited to one per person):
Worksop, Retford, Harworth, Carlton-in-Lindrick, Ollerton, Newark, Southwell, Collingham, Balderton, Farndon and Blidworth.

You should use the pen to write your postcode and house/flat number or first two letters of your house name on your property.

Engraving or etching is also suitable for many hard surfaces. This method leaves a visible and permanent mark. For other items which are not suitable for marking consider taking a close-up colour photograph of each item against a neutral background and in front of a ruler to give some idea of size. Keep a note of any identifiable marks and manufacturer details, along with a current value.

You can also register your property on the national property register Immobilise, at www.immobilise.com. There are also a number of companies on the Internet who can supply tracking devices for high valued larger items such as vehicles and machinery.

Cllr John Clarke, Chair of Nottinghamshire Police Authority welcomed the initiative and advised people to take advantage of the offer while the pens are available. He said: “Property marking is particularly important when it comes to restoring owners with stolen property. I hope that people will collect these pens, which are an excellent tool in the fight against theft and burglary, and use them to mark any item that is valuable to them. It would be excellent news if this initiative could go countywide.

“If we all take sensible precautions such as this to protect our property then hopefully we are less likely to become victims of crime. Certainly, even if we are unlucky, we stand a much better chance of seeing our property again if it has been marked.”
 

Police urge residents to be vigilant following rural burglaries
 
POLICE are urging residents living in the villages across north Bassetlaw to be vigilant following a series of house burglaries.
 
Since 1 November 2008 there have been 16 burglaries at homes situated in the following villages;
 
Barnby Moor, Blyth, Clayworth, East Drayton, Everton, Mattersey, Misterton, Oldcotes, Ranskill,
Saundby, Sturton le Steeple, South Leverton, Sutton cum Lound, West Stockwith and Walkeringham.
 
There have also been two burglaries at Kirklington and Egmanton, which fall within the Newark & Sherwood district, which have also been linked to this series.
 
The majority of these burglaries have occurred in the daytime or during early evening when people have either been at work or out of the house.
 
Jewellery has been the most common item stolen, but also other valuable items such as televisions and laptops.
 
Residents are asked to ensure their home security is in good working order including window and door locks, security lights and alarm system.
People are asked to remain vigilant of any vehicles or people acting suspiciously in their area and to report any unusual activity to the police immediately.
 
Nottinghamshire Police can be contacted on 01909 500999.
 
If you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme you can also use your local coordinator to report any information to the police. If you would like to start a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in your area please call the Neighbourhood Watch office at Worksop Police Station on 01909 500999 extension 7154.

Bassetlaw Community Safety Partnership is getting tough on town centre violence and disorder.

Police enforcement, high-visibility patrols, test purchase operations and a hard-hitting poster campaign are being used in the clamp down on alcohol-related violence across the district.

David Hunter, Chief Executive of Bassetlaw District Council said: “All organisations in the Community Safety Partnership are keen to do all we can, through enforcement, prevention and education, to reduce violent crime in our town centres. We want everyone to feel safe and be safe in our towns and enjoy the facilities available.”

High visibility police patrols on Friday and Saturday nights have been stepped up as part of the crackdown, to provide reassurance and early intervention at any potential incidents of disorder.

Police officers will conduct ‘walk throughs’ of pubs to establish the age of customers and the general atmosphere. Licensing visits are also being undertaken to ensure all licensing conditions are being complied with and that all door staff are correctly registered.

Troublemakers run the risk of being caught on camera by a mobile CCTV unit, which will tour Worksop and Retford town centres.

Bassetlaw Police Chief Inspector Ian Barrowcliff said: “The majority of violence offences that happen in this area are alcohol related and often involve people that know one another. It is often these people that wake up the following morning in a hospital bed or police cell.

“Their lack of self control places extra demand on the police, licensed premises, door staff and hospitals who bear the brunt of the consequences. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated in our town centres and we will take whatever action is necessary to make people realise that.”

Inside pubs and clubs revellers will be targeted with a poster campaign, urging people to think about their drinking limits.

The posters feature female and male models and captions like: “Hi boys! Show me your six pack, not what’s inside it.” And “Hi girls! If he’s too drunk to walk away from trouble, show him how it’s done.”

The strategy behind the poster campaign is based on what many young adults fear the most - being laughed at and not being as attractive as they think they are. The main message is that binge drinking is unattractive.

Bassetlaw Primary Care Trust and Bassetlaw Hospital Accident & Emergency are displaying posters in doctors’ surgeries and hospital waiting rooms.

Credit card sized advice cards containing useful telephone numbers for local health advice and support groups, are also being given out in colleges, sixth forms and Accident & Emergency.

John Taylor, Alcohol Strategy Lead for Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team said: "We welcome this initiative that seeks to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol use. When people go out to enjoy social drinking they should be aware that they are responsible for their own behaviour and the way that that might affect others. Going out to get drunk increases the risks of illness and injury not just for the drinker but everyone that they meet. By staying in control and setting safe limits to alcohol consumption everyone can look forward to a more enjoyable night out."

Worksop and Retford Pubwatch have shown their support to the campaign and T-shirts bearing similar slogans to the posters are being worn by bar staff.

People who commit violence and are banned from a Pubwatch premises will be turned away from all pubs that are members of Pubwatch under the ‘Banned from One Banned from All’ policy.

Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Partnerships at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "This is an excellent campaign which uses education and enforcement to help target underage drinking and violent crime in Bassetlaw. However, we can only go so far and it is up to local people to take responsibility for their own actions and realise that heavy drinking can lead to them being arrested, hurt or even killed."


Rebecca Tomlinson
Communications Officer
Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood
Nottinghamshire Police
01636 657981 or mobile 0797 11 59 048

Chief Superindendent's Open Letter January 2007 (pdf)

Fish sellers