One of the most effective tools you can use to help reduce crime in Oakland is a simple electric engraving pen.

With this pen, you can inscribe your driver's license number on valuable property in and around your home.

In making our property readily identifiable by the police, you help deter crime in two ways.

First, a thief is discouraged from stealing marked property because marked property is more difficult to sell than unmarked property.

Second, a thief is easier to prosecute when the thief is discovered with goods in his or her possession that are easily identifiable as stolen.

Less than 2% of the millions of dollars worth of property stolen in Oakland each year is ever returned to the owner.

Almost half the property recovered by the police is eventually auctioned or destroyed because the goods have no identifying characteristics.

By marking your property, you not only discourage theft but you also greatly increase your chance of recovering your property should the thief ignore the risk.

Where can you get at electric engraving pen?

As part of Operation Identification, the Community Services Section of the Oakland Police Department has engraving pens available for loan. For information, call 777-8573.

After you have marked your valuables, you will be given special decals for your doors or windows, informing potential burglars that items in your house are marked. Presence of the decal alone may scare off a thief.