Property Marking
The main Crime Prevention purpose of marking your property is to make it less attractive to thieves to steal it in the first place as they know that if they are caught in possession of it by the Police and the Police can quickly establish it is stolen property, they are in trouble! In addition, the traceable property may be more difficult for them to "cash in" with another criminal or to a willing purchaser of the item. Of course it also greatly enhances the chances of you being re-united with the item which is important too.
Although etching/punching your Postcode and house number or name/company name on property can be very effective it is often not a practical option so we have other ways of effective Property Marking.
Electronic marking
If you have a Mobile Phone stolen or lose it, the police will be checking www.immobilise.com if they find it in the possession of a criminal or in the street etc to identify it. It is a free service and takes a few minutes on line to register your phones details.
Similarly if you have a bicycle you should register your Frame number etc. at www.immobilise.com. Warning stickers are available from the company.
Police offered marking products
The Association Of Chief Police Officers recommends via its SecuredbyDesign scheme Property Marking Products/Companies which satisfy their criteria.Kits cost in the range of 15 pounds which includes warning labels to would be thieves, an important aspect.
Go to www.securedbydesign.com, click on licensed companies then Property Identification to asses your choices. It may be worth checking with your local police Crime Prevention Officer to see if there are any ongoing initiatives which would enable you to avoid paying or whether the local police are working more with any particular "securedbydesign" property marking product in your area.
UV pen marking
UV pen marking still has a role to play in Crime Prevention however, only after the above methods have been considered.
The principle here is that you mark your postcode followed by the house number or name on property with an UV pen which is invisible to the naked eye.Again you display stickers usually supplied with the pen to illustrate that you have done this. Police have access to UV lights which show up postcodes etc when shone on your UV mark of your postcode.Pens cost a pound or so hence their popularity however we are moving towards contemporary methods as above in order to reprofile the Crime Prevention benefit of Property Marking.
Photography
Taking photographs of property as detailed as possible is recommended for reconciliation/prosecution of offender purposes, particularly if it is not property marked.
Crime prevention officers
Your local Police Crime Prevention Officers can advise as necessary regarding Property Marking however, they do not have ready access to etching or stamping equipment nowadays or large stocks of Property Marking kits and Warning labels.Occasionally there are some supplies left after funded initiatives locally so you may be lucky.