Don't get wiped out by Surf Crime and turn the tide on opportunist thieves

In addition surfers are advised to keep vehicle keys with them at all times, utilising water sealed pouches, or even keeping keys safe with friends back on shore.

Pyle Neighbourhood Beat Officer, and surf enthusiast PC Gerry McKay stated “It’s important that surfers and beach users take sensible precautions to protect their vehicles and property by following simple crime prevention tips, to make life as difficult as possible for any opportunistic thieves. We want locals and visitors to enjoy our fantastic coastline within a safe and secure environment.”

Surfers can also take additional steps to protect their valuable surfboards with Surfboard Tracker (SBT), a state of the art security and identification technology that uses a global internet database to permanently mark, track, and protect boards.

Chipped boards and registration via wwwsurfboard-tracker.com offers the following benefits to surfers and users of other extreme sports boards:

• A chipped board is a trackable asset. Removing identification marks and chip implants will result in a tampered board, that is easy to detect, meaning opportunist thieves will stay away from SBT registered boards.

• The SBT electronic detection decal and chip will identify the board as being protected acting as a visual deterrent.

• Checks as to whether a board is stolen or counterfeit can be carried out via the internet, with chip codes that are unique and cannot be replicated.

• SBT accounts can include certificates of ownership, along with board photographs.

• In the unfortunate event of a chipped board being stolen, it will be put on the global stolen property register and can be checked on by retailers, police, and insurers. Recovered boards can also be easily returned to their owners.

Any surfers or retailers who would like further information on surfboard tracker, which is endorsed by the British Surfing Association can email SBT via sbt@surfboard-tracker.com, or visit the SBT website at www.surfboard-tracker.com.

Community members with any information on surf related or beach crime are urged to contact Bridgend Police Station on 01656 655 555, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Alternatively community members with information on surf related or beach crime can approach officers on the beat, or inform their Neighbourhood Policing Team via upcoming Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings, with meeting dates being available by clicking on the PACT Information link of this website.

Community Partners will be holding the following PACT meetings:

Wednesday 12th September 2007:

Porthcawl West – TrinityChurch, John Street – 19:00

Thursday 20th September 2007:

Newton – Newton School Rooms – 19:00

Tuesday 2nd October 2007:

Cornelly – Cornelly Primary School – 18:30