19
Aug
2015
By Calvin at 10:27 GMT, 10 years ago
I just picked up this July story (edited) from Essex Police, which I thought you might find interesting:
A new recording card scheme has been launched by Essex Police, Heritage Watch and charities encouraging residents to keep a record of valuable possessions.
The Object ID card, which is a little larger than a business card, has been designed to be used as a photographic aid when taking pictures of valuable property.
The card acts as a scale and colour chart when placed next to a valuable item, such as a set of medals, an item of jewellery or work of art. On the reverse side are some useful tips about photographing valuable property.
It is hoped that the Object ID card will encourage the public to keep records of their possessions. This will be promoted to elderly residents in Essex with the help of organisations such as Age UK, The Royal British Legion and Community Agents Essex.
Chief Inspector Craig Carrington of the Local Policing Support Unit said: “The theft of medals, memorabilia and family heirlooms – including watches and wedding rings - can have a devastating effect on the victim and family.
“Fortunately this crime is rare, but we aim to help prevent it by warning thieves and handlers that such property in Essex is being recorded and if stolen, details will be circulated”.
Andrew Gardner, Chief Executive of Age UK Essex, said: “Age UK Essex witness first-hand the distress caused when the home of an elderly person is burgled. It is heart-breaking to hear how someone’s family heirloom has been stolen, medals taken and precious memorabilia are lost forever. That is why we are encouraging older people to record their possessions and should the items be recovered this will help the police return the stolen goods to their rightful owners”.
Linda Amos-Flanagan, Outreach Development Officer for Community Agents Essex, said: “Community Agents fully supports this scheme. It will help to provide our clients with more piece of mind around the security of their valuables – many of them sentimental items”.
You can get your own Object ID card from any Age UK and Community Agents Essex venues, the Royal British Legion Pop in Information and Advice Centre in Colchester, or by contacting your local Essex Watch Liaison Officer on 101.
To find out more about Essex Heritage Watch scheme, click here:
There’s lots of information on The Crime Prevention Website about property identification, but here’s a few tips about photographing our valuable stuff:
Taking photographs of antiques and works of art
Once you have recorded the information about your antiques and works of art you should take photographs of them to complete the record. Here are a few tips to ensure that you can provide the police, insurers and database registers with the most useful images.
- If you can, photograph the item outside in good daylight without the use of flash, especially when the item has a reflective surface. If a flash light is required then try to diffuse the light. Direct flash light can create a light 'hot-spot' on a reflective surface and degrade the surface detail of the image
- Use a reasonably high pixel setting on the camera to obtain a detailed image
- Photograph the items one at a time
- Depending on the object you are photographing take pictures from the top, front, side and back and also the bottom if necessary to show maker’s marks. Always photograph the back and the front of a painting
- Take close up pictures of signatures, pattern names, serial numbers, inscriptions and other distinguishing features, such as damage and imperfections. Try to imagine that your valuable item has been stolen and recovered and you are the person now trying to positively match your photographs with the recovered item
- Place a familiar object next to the item, such as a ruler or stamp to indicate its size. Your local police may be able to supply you with an Object ID Card, which is similar in size to a business card and carries a scale and colour chart. (Essex Police, Age UK in Essex and Heritage Watch in Essex were supplying these in July 2015)
- Photograph objects against non-reflective plain backgrounds. A dark background is ideal for silver and glass. Using a digital camera will allow you to experiment with various backgrounds and colours. Avoid patterned carpets and wallpaper as a background
- Consider photographing each room in the house so you can quickly identify what item went missing from each room
- Attach the photos to your completed object description forms and store them away from your home or upload them to a database register or other off-site server
Property Marking and Identification: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/security-inside-the-home/484/property-identification--marking-tagging-and-tracking/
