Police crack down on laptop theft

West Yorkshire Police are launching a new way to crack down on laptop theft.

The new hi-tech software is activated post theft and enables accurate tracking of the laptops whereabouts.

In Leeds last year 1500 laptops were stolen, with more than two thirds of those belonging to students. The massive influx of new students at the start of term that leave doors open when moving in or getting to know the neighbours means a fresh batch of potential targets for burglary.

A pilot scheme was run last December in the Woodhouse area which saw police installing 500 laptops with the smart software. They hope to fit another 1000 by the end of October. A door-to-door approach has been taken on certain streets and areas regarded as burglary “hotspots”.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Williams, Crime Manager at North West Leeds Division, said: “The areas we are targeting with the software have been identified through analysis of local burglary trends so we can have the biggest impact. We are also notifying known local criminals that this technology is in use.”

Shared student houses are often considered a prime target due to their relatively high number of valuable items in comparison to family homes. Laptops are particularly favoured as they’re light and easy to sell on. Some machines have already been recovered, and arrests and charges have been made. The software is nearly undetectable on the computer which makes it very difficult to locate or remove. This means not only can the laptops be retrieved but also, often importantly for students, coursework and personal files are not lost.

Police still want to remind students to be vigilant and follow commonsense crime prevention advice as a lot of cases of student burglary still stem from unlocked