Operation ID: A new way to protect your valuables

by Michelle Saport  |   

What is Operation ID? Operation ID is a national crime prevention project designed to protect your valuables from theft. In communities where it has been properly implemented, Operation ID has resulted in dramatic reductions in theft.

The Operation ID program has two parts:

  1. Mark your valuables with your UAA WOLFCard number so your property can be easily traced and identified as yours.
  2. After marking your property, make a list of your valuables and keep a copy of the list in a safe place.

What makes Operation ID so effective? Marked property informs the thief that this potential victim has security awareness and has taken precautions, thereby encouraging the thief to find an "easier" target. Marked property is difficult for a thief to dispose of or re-sell. It can be traced to the rightful owner with relative ease. And if the thief is caught with marked property, it is solid evidence of possession of stolen goods.

How to participate: At no cost to students, electric engraving tools are made available at all Housing lobby desks and the University Police Department. Contact the UAA Police Department for information on other sources.

Your UAA WOLFCard should be used as your identifying mark on the valuables you engrave. A typical marking should look like this: UAA1234567.

Note: Your UAA issued number can be found on the back of your WOLFCard. After marking your property, make a list of your valuables and keep a copy of the list in a safe place. If you should subsequently become a burglary victim, you will be able to quickly describe the stolen property from this list. This will be of great help to police in their attempt to recover the stolen possessions.

Mark these possessions! In addition to making a list your valuables, consider photographing your valuables and storing the photos (or copies of the photos) with your "list." Valuable property could include but is not limited to: Car audio components, voice/audio recorders, cameras, sewing machines, tools (hand and power), hubcaps, mag-wheels, electric grooming equipment, microwave ovens, other appliances, fishing equipment, sports equipment, musical instruments, cell phones, binoculars, MP3 players, watches, jewelry, golf clubs, bicycles, computers (laptop and desktop), printers, etc.

For further information, contact the University Police Department at (907) 786-1120 or police@uaa.alaska.edu.

Creative Commons License "Operation ID: A new way to protect your valuables" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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