Mark Your Valuable Equipment Say Police

POLICE in the Down and Castlereagh areas are advising the community to mark their valuable equipment.   The advice follows an increase in the reporting of a number of incidents where TV’s and electrical equipment being stolen. Every year, property worth hundreds of thousands of pounds is recovered by the police and not returned to its rightful owners. This is simply because it can’t be properly identified. And if the items can’t be identified, the police may not be able to prove that they were stolen. They may then have to give your property back to the thieves and let them go. A simple yet effective way to protect your property is to mark it.  Below is some advice on what to do:   Ultra violet or ‘invisible’ marking. An ultra-violet pen (UV) can put an invisible mark on your property which can only be seen using a UV lamp. Only use UV marking when other marking methods would reduce the value of the object. Remember that the mark can fade in time, especially when exposed to sunlight, and can be washed off so it needs renewing regularly. You can get easy-to-use property marking kits from stationers and DIY stores.    How to mark your property. *  Using a security marker pen write your postcode followed by the house number or the first two letters of the house name eg BT12 7HN 12 *  Mark parts of the property which are not cleaned *  If possible mark parts of the item that is not too easily visible *  Do not use a pen on paintings (frames are all right), fabric or paper  *  For modern garden furniture paint on your post code where it is not too easily visible *  Consider using commercial products for marking eg microdots and etching (for metal items) Where do I mark my property? Where you mark your property is important – particularly if you are using the engraving method. *  If you want the mark to be out of sight, choose somewhere behind or underneath the article – but not somewhere so hidden that the police would not be able to find it! *  If you use commercial property marking products the mark should be so secure that removal would deface the property or affect the performance of the article. *  Always include information which will identify the owner – for example; the postcode. If you require any further information relating to property marking please contact your local Crime Prevention Officer on 0845 600 8000.]]>