It’s best not to take your Nintendo DSi to school. That’s what police are urging headteachers to tell children across the Midlands region.
Officers across the West Midlands are issuing letters to the region’s headteachers, asking them to speak with children about personal safety and safe guarding their lovely new Christmas gadgets and gizmos.
If it’s not a necessity it’s probably best you leave it at home, which is the advice being issued. As many school children return to school this week, the temptation to show off their new toys to friends may prove too great.
Taking expensive presents to school and having them on show could be a second Christmas to any opportunistic thieves.
"We strongly recommend that if you don’t want to risk losing it, you don’t take it to school with you," said Chief Inspector Matt Markham, from West Midlands Police HQ.
"It’s so easy to misplace your gadgets, and if you are showing them off to friends, you never know who might have their eye on them.
"You could leave your school bag unattended and that would be all it takes for someone to take your new present.
"We also need kids to be aware when travelling to and from school; it’s a bad idea, if you are not with an adult, to have phones, iPods or games consoles on show."
Officers will be visiting some schools to offer a property registration service to pupils, by taking the details and the serial numbers of their mobile phones and registering them on free national property database, Immobilise.
If a lost or stolen item is retrieved by officers, they check the database to see if items are registered and then return valuables to their rightful owners.
Members of the public are also being urged to register their mobile phones, laptops, household valuables and electrical goods by visiting www.registermythings.co.uk.
Officers have issued the following personal safety advice to schools and parents:
1. Never bring non essential gadgets to school such as games consoles and MP3 players. They are safer at home and you never know who might have their eyes on them. ?2. If you are travelling on public transport, walking to school or in your neighbourhood, never have your phone, games consoles or mp3 players on show. Somebody could try to take them. ?3. When you are travelling alone try to stick to busy streets. Shortcuts are a bad idea if they are deserted or have poor lighting.?4. If travelling by bus, sit close to the driver where possible or in view of the CCTV if present, and avoid sitting upstairs if you are by yourself. Check service times before leaving to avoid waiting at bus stops for long periods.?5. You can register your gadgets on a database, so if they are ever lost or stolen and the police do find them, they will check the database and return your things to you. Visit www.registermythings.co.uk for information.
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