Make Your Vehicle Even Safer With The Help Of Northamptonshire Police
| Published: 10th July 2008 13:23 |
Officers from Northamptonshire Police will visit shopping centres across the north of the county in a bid to cut vehicle crime, especially number plate theft.
The Mobile Police Station will be out and about at stores such as Asda in Corby, Waitrose in Rushden and Morrisons in Kettering during eight events from Thursday 10 July.
There have been 129 reports of stolen number plates in Northamptonshire North since January 1 - a 98 per cent rise on the same time last year when 65 thefts were reported.
And police also believe that stolen number plates are often used to mask the identity of cars that are used in drive-offs from petrol stations.
So police officers and staff will be handing out and fitting tamper proof number plate screws and issuing crime prevention advice all free of charge.
Shoppers will be able to have the screws fitted while they wait or as they are doing their shopping.
Inspector Ali Reynolds of the Northamptonshire North Police Area said: "These days people lead increasingly busy lives but under this scheme, shoppers can do their shopping as usual while we go about the task of fitting the screws, making their vehicles even safer.
"We do a lot of hard work, in partnership with petrol stations, and I'm sure that forecourt drive offs are linked to the theft of number plates.
"We are asking for people to be vigilant and we would like to hear from anyone who finds discarded number plates or sees anyone tampering with number plates to get in touch with the police."
Anyone who is unable to wait for the screws to be fitted can take away a set and fit them at a later date.
Large signs will be put up outside the shopping centres and at the petrol filling stations, telling people about the free scheme.
The first event will take place at Tesco in Kettering on Thursday 10 July while the second will be in Morrisons in Corby on Friday 11 July. On Thursday 17 July they will be in Waitrose in Rushden and on Friday 18 July there will be an event at Morrisons in Kettering.
The roadshow continues on Thursday 24 July at Morrisons in Wellingborough and moves on to Asda in Corby on the Friday 25 July.
Finally, on Thursday 31 July, the police station pulls up at Asda in Rushden and then moves on to Tesco in Wellingborough on Friday 8 August.
All events will run between 12pm and 6pm.
Anyone with information about the theft of number plates or petrol station drive offs should call Northamptonshire Police on 08453 700700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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