More than 770 gardening tools belonging to York allotment holders have been ‘dot-peened’ in security marking at allotments between May and July 2016.
City of York Council with North Yorkshire Police visited all 17 council allotment sites at pre-arranged dates to enable allotment holders to have their property marked and registered. As well as acting as a deterrent to theft, property marking also makes it easier to return belongings to their rightful owner should they be stolen and to possibly use them as evidence in crimes, say the authorities.
This year the Fire Service joined representatives from police and the council at the larger allotment sites, giving advice on fire prevention as well as inspecting the areas for possible hazards and fire accelerants. Sites were given a fire ‘health check’ and no issues were discovered.
David Carr, Leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods said: “This partnership approach to safer allotments helps the allotment committees and individual plot holders become as crime and fire proof as possible. More than 2,250 items have now been marked over the last couple of years which is a major deterrent to property theft at allotments.”
Insp Lee Pointon, of York Police, said: “We’ve had an excellent response to the allotment property marking scheme, and it’s fantastic that so many valuable items in York have now been marked with a unique number to secure them against criminals. Dot peen property marking is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from being a victim of crime. Opportunist thieves will be deterred by the permanent engraving, and if the worst happened and you were targeted, marked property is far harder to sell on, and we are much more likely to be able to return it to you.
“I would encourage anyone interested in getting their valuable property security marked to contact the police or check the press and social media to find out about future events.”
For more about security marking in York, using the product from Telesis, follow the social media campaign under the #whatisdotpeen hashtag. Visit www.york.gov.uk/allotments.
