Cash and Property Marking Case Studies

Educational Establishments

• Forensic marking deters thieves
  One BSIA member provided the Queen Katherine School with forensic marking to ensure their ICT equipment could be made secure whilst retaining a friendly, open environment.

Vehicles

• Illegal vehicle identified through property marking
  As part of the ongoing campaign to catch people who fail to pay their vehicle excise duty, the DVLA clamp unit removed a Vauxhall car to an authorised pound.
• Property marking aids police investigation
  During the course of a murder investigation police recovered a set of Renault car keys and wished to trace to what vehicle or vehicles they related.
• Stolen vehicle recovered
  Police officers raided a garage believed to be involved in the theft, disguise and disposal of vehicles.
• Buyer of car confirms authenticity
  The potential buyer of a late 2003 Toyota called the security register to verify the authenticity of a vehicle he was considering buying.
• Property marking alerts owner to crime
  A man from Bolton was less than pleased to find his drive blocked by a parked car.
• Marking aids police recovery of stolen car
  Yorkshire police stopped a Renault vehicle displaying a number plate set out in an illegal font.

Bicycles

• Stolen bikes returned to owners
  Two bikes were found abandoned in woods near Ashford, Kent and handed in at the local police station.
• Registered bike returned to owner
  One BSIA member launched a high-profie visible-marking campaign involving bikes belonging to MPs, Peers and parliamentary workers from the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, during which a bike was stolen and successfully returned to the owner.

Personal Possessions

• Registered camera returned
  Staff at London’s Mermaid Theatre found a marked and registered Sony video camera at the end of the evening performance so the theatre manager contacted the security register.
• Marking ensures speedy return of possessions
  A marked and registered mobile phone was left in the back of a licensed taxi by a customer.
• Laptop returned after theft
  One BSIA member provides marking solutions for personal items such as cameras and laptops which recently resulted in the successful return of a laptop to its rightful owner. The type of marking provided can also be used by businesses to ensure their IT equipment can be returned to them if stolen and in the first instance, provide a deterrent to the thief.

Domestic burglary

• Marking reduces burglary hot-spot
  Greenwich Borough Police approached a BSIA member following the identification of a burglary hot-spot area in the Woolwich Dockyard area of the London Borough of Greenwich.
• Marking tackles acquisitive crime
  A BSIA member worked with Richmond Upon Thames Community Safety Partnership to reduce the amount of acquisitive crime to the area.

Industrial sites

• Marking makes industrial estate a 'no go' area
  A BSIA member worked with a group of businesses to make the biggest industrial estate in Winsford, Cheshire, a 'no go' area for criminals through the use of forensic marking.

Public buildings

• Marking provides solution to lead theft
  One BSIA member worked with DPM Leadwork Ltd, a lead roofing company in Franham, Surrey, to reduce the theft of lead of any new roofs the company installs.
• Forensic marking deters metal theft
  One BSIA member worked with the London Borough of Greenwich, to crackdown on the theft of valuable metals from businesses and public buildings in the borough.