Property Marking Advice

Every year the police recover thousands and thousands of pounds worth of property from the hands of criminals. Often one of the biggest drawbacks in an investigation is trying to trace the owners of this property. Being able to trace the ownership of these items not only helps the owner to get the property back, but it can also provide evidence that is vital in securing convictions.

In order to help with this, it is a very good idea to mark your property in such a way that it can be easily identified as yours. The cheapest and most effective way of doing this is by using a UV marker pen to write your home postcode and house name or number on the item of property. It is a good idea to write this information on the underside of the item, so that sunlight does not fade the information.

Every police station is equipped with UV lights and when property comes into police possession, the items are checked for UV markings. Officers also take portable UV lights with them when carrying out raids, to check contents in criminals’ homes to see if they have been stolen.

You can make a real difference in protecting your property by ensuring that you use a UV marker pen to postcode all your valuable items, such as TV’s, DVD players, Ipods, Hi-Fi systems, mobile telephones, and any other items which have a hard surface. You should also keep a note of the serial number of the item, and note the place where you have written the postcode.

Items that are too small to mark, such as items of jewellery, should be photographed and any identifying marks recorded.

You should seek expert advice in relation to marking antiques and items of art, as it is recognised that marking these items can affect their value.

UV pens cost in the region of £1.00 from a number of retail outlets. They should be used in conjunction with a property record card, and some small warning stickers which can be placed in windows at the front and rear of your home. This tells a would be thief that contents within this property have been postcoded and can act as a deterrent.