HOW SAFE ARE YOUR POSSESSIONS?
Do you own things of sentimental value which would be impossible to replace? Or things which could be replaced, but at a high cost.
Your possessions may mean a lot to you but to a thief they are just another way of making cash.
Of course the best thing to do is to protect your home against the thief. But if someone did break in and steal things, could you describe them fully and accurately to the Police? It’s not as easy as it sounds when all you have to rely on is your memory.
Every year, property worth hundreds of thousands of pounds is recovered by the police and not returned to its rightful owner, simply because it can’t be properly identified.
Property marking deters thieves. They find identifiable property dangerous to handle and difficult to dispose of. It also helps the police to return your property if it is found or recovered.
POSTCODE YOUR PROPERTY
Your post code plus your house or flat number (or the first two letters of your house name) provides a simple and unique way to identify your property. A person living at 7, West Albion Street, Notown, NT42 9WA, for example, would use NT42 9WA 7.
A person living at Crossroads Cottage, High Street, Anytown, AN3 1NZ would use AN3 1NZ CR.
If you do not know your post code, then ask at your local Post Office. They will have a full list of Post Codes for your area.
HOW TO MARK YOUR PROPERTY
There are several ways to mark your property depending on the type of object you want to mark. These alternatives are:
Engraving Or Etching
Engraving or etching is suitable for many hard surfaces. It is also quite difficult to do if you haven’t tackled it before. Do not try and etch or engrave old antiques or valuables. You may destroy them or cause their value to drop.
If you are engraving an article using a stencil to help form the letters you may find a tendency for the stencil to slip while you are engraving. Placing an elastic band around the stencil first, or a little ‘blue tac’ on the stencil back will stop the stencil sliding as much.
Ultra Violet or `Invisible` Marking
This method of marking property is very popular because it is easy to do and it doesn’t damage the surface of your property. Simply obtain an Ultra Violet marker pen and write your post code and house number on your property. It’s as easy as that. The mark dries invisible but can be seen using an Ultra Violet lamp which most Police Offices will have access to.
Here are some tips on how best to use the marker pens.
| · Write on the underside of your electrical goods. If you write on the side or back of the item cleaning and polishing may wear off the marks. Sunlight can also deteriorate the ultra-violet effect.
· Don’t forget the remote controls. Open them up and write in the well where the batteries are kept and on the inside of the battery cover. · Write your post code inside your camera in the well where your film spool is dropped in. Also inside the case. |
· Don’t forget, You can write on the top side of your music CDs.
· One pen will mark many items. Once you have done all your property, pass on the pen to a relative or neighbour. The pen is of no use drying out in a drawer. Advise the recipient to contact their local Area Constable for advice of its correct use. · If you are unsure about coding certain items of property, obtain advice from your local Police Crime Prevention Officer. |
Punching or Stamping
Punching or stamping is one of the most effective ways of marking heavy duty items, such as tools, cycles, and some garden equipment. It is also one of the easiest. Your post code and house number is stamped into the item using lettered die stamps and a hammer. Again, this should not be done on fragile items or antiques. It is advised to contact your local Area Constable for advice, and they may carry out the task for you.
Do not try to punch or stamp your Grandfathers watch, or any other antique or valuable item.
Ceramic Marking
Ceramics are usually quite easy to mark, but be careful you do not mark items that are antique, fragile, or of historical value without checking if marking will reduce their value.
Marking is done using a ceramic marker, similar to a chinagraph pencil. Remember this will leave a very visible mark which a thief may remove through sheer determination. Providing it does not reduce the item’s value, consider using a Ultra-violet pen, or a product similar to the ALPHA-DOT system available in hardware stores.
Some people have asked about using a ULTRA-VIOLET marker pen on their china. This sounds good and would probably work, except for one problem. Many house-proud people tend to take their ornaments and wash them with warm soapy water. This will lift the UV mark from the items, as will polishing.
Keeping a written and photographic record of your Property
Keep a small notebook with a room by room list of your items, noting make, model, serial number, description (and any unique and distinctive features), its value on purchase and date of purchase.
You may consider photographing your items as an accurate record.
Consider the following before taking your snaps.
- When photographing small items place something beside the object in the picture which gives an indication of the items size, e.g. a ruler or coin.
- If you have a lot of items on display you may be struggling to recall them all if they were taken. Consider photographing a whole room or wall at a time.
- Keep a spare set of photos at a relative’s home. Should some disaster strike your whole home and your own record is lost, then your extra copy will help settle any insurance claims.
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