How To Protect Your Valuables From
Theft
(Police recommendations)
One of the most effective tools you can use to
retrieve property stolen from your home is a simple
electric engraving pen. With this pen you can inscribe
your name or a number on the most valuable items in and
around your home. Before you do this, check with local
police to see which they prefer to use � your name,
driver�s license, social security number or
whatever.
Engraving your name or number on your valuables helps
deter robbery in two ways: first, you discourage the
thief since marked property is much more difficult to
sell. Second, if a thief does steal your property, it is
much easier to catch and prosecute him when he is
discovered with goods in his possession that are easily
identifiable as stolen.
Billions of dollars worth of property stolen each
year is never returned to the owners. Why? Because
without some identifying mark or number, the police are
unable to verify stolen property, or trace the owner.
More than half property recovered by the police is
eventually auctioned off or destroyed because the goods
have no identifying characteristics.
In some cities, local law enforcement agencies will
lend you and your neighbors an engraving pen free. In
these communities, you may borrow an engraving tool for
several days. If this service is not available to you,
you can purchase an inexpensive electric pen from your
local hardware store for as little as $10 to $15. This
small investment could be worth a great deal more to you
at a later date.
Items already marked with serial number � such as
cars, TV�s, cameras, typewriters, radios, stereos, tape
decks, appliances, etc., may not have to be engraved
with your name or personal number. Check with local
police first. If they recommend you, inscribe your
identifying mark on serialized items, inscribe this
information just above the manufacturer�s serial
number.
On unserialized property, inscribe your name or
number on the upper right corner of the rear or backside
of each item. Should you decide to sell or discard the
item at a later date, you should invalidate your number
by using the engraving pen or any sharp tool to draw a
single line through your name or number from the upper
left to the lower right hand corner. Do not deface your
name or number in any other way. It is also advisable,
when selling �marked� property, write out a simple
receipt and specifying on it that you were the previous
owner and indicate the name or number used by you. This
could prevent legal hassles for the new owner at a later
time.
To protect smaller valuable items such as jewelry,
silverware, etc., it is wise to take a photo of each
item. A simple, instant-type camera photo is
sufficient.
After you have marked and/or photographed all your
valuables, make a detailed list of these items and keep
it in a safe place. When new items are acquired, add
them to your list. As other valuables are sold or
discarded, cross them off the list.
If you use credit cards, they should also be recorded
on your list. Either, copy your account number from each
card and expiration date, or you can have photo copies
made for your records.