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Part 12: 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.
These articles are reprinted
with permission from Visec
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