Crime Prevention

On this month’s Crime Prevention Segment, Sergeant Kelvin Courtney was in studio and discussed how to safeguard against phone theft. The advice will strongly recommend that smart phone owners record details of their IMEI number. Only one in three people have this unique 15 digit number, when reporting their mobile phone stolen.

The National Crime Prevention Unit at the Garda Community Relations Bureau have developed an information graphic which demonstrates how to record the IMEI number.

The process is as follows:

1. Simply dial *#06#

2. A 15 digit number will appear on your screen

3. Take a screen shot of this number (this usually involves holding the power button and home button simultaneously, handsets may vary).

4. Email this picture to yourself, giving you a permanent record of this number.

If a smart phone has been found or recovered and the IMEI number has been recorded on pulse, An Garda Síochána can return the phone to the rightful owner.

If the victim has their phone registered with a network provider, the IMEI number can be used to identify the handset and block any further use. 

Further crime prevention advice is available here