PROPERTY MARKING

All portable property should be clearly and visibly marked as being the property of that business or company.

The practice of invisibly marking property with the relevant postcode together with street numbers or name of premises is of value to the police in identifying recovered stolen property.

Often property can be made worthless to the criminal, without affecting its use within the workplace, by applying the name or logo of the company in a prominent position.

Computer keyboards, monitors, televisions and video recorders become worthless to the thief if they are easily identified as being stolen, by having the company name etched into their frontispieces or by it being painted on in fluorescent paint. Use of the words 'Stolen from' followed by the company's name is also a good deterrent. Apart from anything else a criminal examining such property becomes instantly aware that it is unlikely to realise a reasonable sum of cash.

Clear notices to the effect that all property is marked should be on display.

Only property that is not for resale and belongs to the business can be prominently marked. However, with goods a batch marking system be employed, with relevant records being kept so that any property stolen prior to distribution can be identified. This application has proven particularly useful in the clothing industry. There are also several products now available that allow for covert marking of manufactured goods which can be traced back to the maker through a central database. Smartwater is a good example of this kind of product.

There are many methods of marking property in the conventional way, for example etching, ultra violet pen marking, chemical paints and stamping. Advice on specialised property marking can be obtained from your local Crime Reduction Officer.

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