Victim of theft? Help others help you
We see on a daily basis that many people become the victim of theft. A lot of the time it’s a vehicle that’s been taken. This article is being written with the intention and hope of trying to help those victims be reunited with their belongings. By following some simple hints and tips, you may just save yourself from a lot of stress.
Before we get to the hints and tips of what to do after you find your item has been stolen, there are a few things you can do right now that could make all the difference. The first thing you should do is take a current up to date picture of your vehicle. Taking new pictures of any future modifications is also wise, and particular focus should be made on any unique parts.
In addition to the above, there are many locks/security devices on the market. We’re not in a position to highlight or recommend any specifically, but we would advise you to read any available feedback closely. This will enable you to make a sound and informed choice on what is right for you.
So, having made sure you have the up to date pictures and the correct locks, we’d hope that you won’t have any issues. However, from experience, we know that some people will still find their vehicle stolen.
The first thing you should do when you find that your vehicle has been stolen is report it to the police. Obtain a crime number and provide them with as much information as you can. The next thing people tend to do is go onto Social Media and write an emotive post.
An example of a post that we’ve seen recently is;
“Someone has nicked my bike, if anyone has any details let me know. I am going to ****ing get those who took it”
These sorts of posts can negatively affect the number of people who will see it. Here’s why;
When you swear (we know that there’s high emotions behind who is typing it), there’s a demographic of people who would shy away from sharing the post. Those people, we feel, would not want to be associated with that sort of post/language so won’t share it any further.
The next point to note is there is no location. This is another reason others may not share (other than those who know you), as they won’t know if their area or friend list would be relevant to the post. Having a road name and area would help people decide what groups they can share the post to.
Lastly, no description of the vehicle. No one knows what bike they are looking out for. It could be parked on their road, but without knowing the colour, registration plate, make and model, it’s hard to keep an eye out for it.
So to summarise, here’s a simple list to try and follow when creating a post for people to share. Remember, when writing a post, your aim is for others to help you. So, the more information you put, the better your chances are of someone coming to your aid.
- Vehicle – always include a clear description including make and model (and attach a picture too)
- Location of theft – As specific as you are comfortable with sharing
- Time – The period in which it was possible they could have stolen it
- Any CCTV footage
- Crime number (this helps the police keep the information in one place if they get a call with information).
Once you have all these details and have posted (or even before), contact us on our facebook page, SOnews. We’ll gladly help by sharing it for you. At SOnews, we’ll always put a story on our website and share it to all relevant groups. We can also provide you with updates on any direct information we receive.
In context, we’ve managed to return 3 bikes this year alone, and have had over 40k visitors to our site. We’re here to help where we can.