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You
Belong To Me
Every year, billions of dollars worth of stolen property is
never returned to its rightful 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.
One of the most effective tools you can use to retrieve property
stolen from your home is a simple Invisible Ink Pen. With this
pen you can write your name, address, driver's license number,
social security number, or other identifying mark on most of the
valuable items in and around your home. The beauty of invisible
ink is, of course, that it is invisible. To see the ink, the
item must be placed near an ultraviolet light. This is something
that police, detectives, and pawn shop owners do on a routine
basis.
For a more visual deterrent, you can use an electric engraving
pen to etch your information in the back of your valuables. Many
police departments will lend you an electronic engraving pen, or
you can pick one up inexpensively at your local hardware store.
Items already marked with a serial number--such as cars, TV's,
cameras, computers, appliances, etc.--may not have to be marked
with invisible ink or engraved with your identifying
information, so long as you keep accurate detailed records of
those serial numbers... but in general, it is often best to have
the added "proof of ownership" that comes with having
your name or other identifying mark right on the stolen goods. A
thief can hardly double-talk his way out of that scenario.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
To protect smaller valuable items such as jewelry, silverware,
etc., it is wise to take a photo of each item. Use a standard
camera, instant camera, or digital camera. Keep the pictures or
digital files in a safe place so you can produce them if and
when they are needed.
Building on this concept, take a home video camera and slowly
video everything in your home, yard, and car. Take it slow and
be thorough. It really doesn't take very long and if you ever
need to prove a certain possession, wouldn't you hate to see
that you blurred right past it when creating the video?
Once your masterpiece is finished, make a duplicate copy of the
video and store one version inside your home and the other at an
external location. After all, what good is a video of all your
possessions if it gets stolen by an intruder or burned in a
fire?
Be sure to create an updated video every year or so. It is time
very well spent.
Protect Your Wheels And Its Contents
Always keep your vehicle doors locked while driving. If you are
stuck in traffic or waiting at a red light, stay alert for
anyone that appears to be loitering near the road. They may be
looking to steal purses, newly purchased merchandise, and other
valuables that may be within easy reach. Lock your doors and
stay alert. In most cases, that is enough to deter crime because
such thieves are looking for the easiest possible opportunity.
Don't provide it for them.
When leaving your car or truck, always lock the doors and close
all the windows. If you have a dog or other animal in the car,
leave the windows open enough for fresh air to enter. Of course,
never ever leave a small child in an unattended vehicle.
At night or at an indoor parking facility, always park in a
well-lighted area and preferably near an attendant or a
high-traffic area. Always avoid dark areas with very little
traffic. The potential harm (physical or monetary) is too great.
Once
parked, you can protect your vehicle with a quality car alarm
system. There are many different types of vehicle alarms on the
market. Do your homework and find one that offers the features
and price that meet your needs. A nice feature of many
remote-activated alarms is a "panic" function. This
feature allows you to sound the alarm from a distance if you
feel threatened in any way (also works to locate your car if you
don't quite remember where you parked it).
Diversion Safe
A diversion safe is something that appears to be a common
household item that is of little interest to a burglar that is
hurrying to get all he can and get out of your house. The
average home robbery lasts just 8 minutes. The thief doesn't
waste time looking through what looks (and feels) like an
ordinary electrical outlet, book, soda can, salt shaker,
mayonnaise jar, etc.
Inside the diversion item, however, you can hide jewelry, cash,
keys, photos, rare coins, and other valuables.
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