Security Advice #012 - How To Protect Your Valuables From Theft
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 you 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 the
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 a 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, to 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.
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information.
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