Criminals don’t want to be caught in possession of property which has been clearly marked, so they are less likely to steal it. Marking property increases the likelihood that criminals will be caught, prosecuted and convicted. Unfortunately, the majority of recovered stolen property is not marked, thus it cannot be identified and returned to the owners. Any unidentified items that are recovered must be sold at a public auction or destroyed. Halifax Regional Police encourages you to make an itemized list of your valuables. This will help deter a criminal from stealing your property and assist Police in identifying it and returning it to you.

What should be included on your list

• The name of the article
• Make
• Model
• Serial number
• Colour/Size
• Where marked
• Identifying marks

There are several different ways to mark your belongings:

• Electric Engraving Pen: The fine point of the pen rapidly vibrates as you etch your identifying mark into the item.
• Manually Etch or Scribe: A steady hand using a pointed ridged scribe will allow you to etch into the surface of most possessions.
• Video Tape: Videos will provide the most graphic record of your possessions as you can audio tape a description which will complement the video image.
• Incidental Marks: During normal use, possessions can receive accidental dents and marks which can be used to confirm ownership.
• Invisible Marker: Identifying features will be revealed when subjected to an ultra violet light source.
• Photographs: Series of photographs from varying angles will provide a graphic presentation of your property.
• Digital Camera: Pictures can be saved on your hard drive and/or disc.
• Permanent Marker: Depending upon the texture of the surface marked, a certain amount of ink will soak into or remain on it.

What Should I Mark?

A general rule of thumb is that you should mark anything of value that a thief could carry away. Bicycles, radios, cameras, televisions, binoculars, electronic devices, watches, stereos, power tools, computers/laptops, lawn mowers, kitchen appliances, musical instruments and sports equipment are just some examples.

Property can be marked in any way you wish. You may choose your initials, nickname or another symbol that only you would know. Remember, the point is to make the item distinct to you. For further information on Operation Identification contact Cst. Jeannie Rankin at 490-5243 or Cst. Don Jenkins at 490-6977.