Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE

April 22, 2020

SUBJECT: Now is the Time to Create a Property Identification List

CONTACT: Teresa Johnson, Tel. (209)736-2567 /[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“IT’S GONE! SOMEONE STOLE MY CHAINSAW! CALL THE POLICE!”

As that sinking feeling starts to grow in your heart, you begin to think about your chainsaw. You know your chainsaw has been stolen. You know you left it in the shed in the backyard last winter. You know that you purchased it from a friend that may have bought it from some guy that he used to work with. You know it was orange, or maybe it used to be black and it was painted orange….and that’s about all you know about the chainsaw.

When you call your local law enforcement to report your property as stolen, one of the first questions the officer will ask you is the make, model, serial number (or owner applied number) of the property. Without that information, the chances of your property being returned to you are very slim.

Property crime, including residential and commercial burglary, account for a large percentage of crime, yet only a small percentage of recovered property is returned to its rightful owner because the property cannot be tracked back to the owner. When you report stolen property to law enforcement and have the make, model, and serial number of the property, your property is entered in to a nationwide system as stolen. If your property is ever recovered, the property will come back as stolen in the system and the property can be returned to you.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

One way to help law enforcement return recovered stolen property is to keep accurate records of your property. Keeping accurate records will allow you to make a detailed report if your property is stolen.

We recommend creating a detailed list of your property. (example: tools, bicycles, cell phones, tablets, jewelry, etc.) Keep it in a safe place. Include information such as the make, model, serial number, value, and a photograph. Note any detail that makes your property unique. If your property doesn’t have a unique serial number, consider marking your property with a permanent marking such as engraving your driver license, or ID card, number on the property.

With the beautiful weather and the fact that most of us are home a bit more these days, now would be a great time to start your property identification list. We have attached a sample of a chart you can use, or make your own spreadsheet, or handwritten notes work too. Maintaining accurate records will allow you to make a detailed report to law enforcement if your property is ever stolen. Detailed reports help increase the chances that your property will be returned to you.

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