Our government spends $100 million on research. Yep. Check out this Government Accountability Office document. It was done back in the mid 1970s at a cost of $100 million dollars in today’s money. 378 scientific studies. The results? Astounding! What did they...
The old signs are nothing more than a sign. Boring. Old. Faded. Worthless. Nobody gets it! Much like the poor marketing efforts and messaging of that antiquated campaign. The signs carry zero relevance for today, BUT the concept’s solid and it needs a facelift...
Did you know there are some basic guidelines that go along with registering and securing your personal property, such as laptops, TVs, power tools, lawn equipment, cell phones, etc? It has never been easier or more secure to do so than with My Property ID. Here is...
We’ve all heard of Neighborhood Watch, but does anyone know the name of the companion crime-prevention strategy rolled out at the same time? It’s called Operation Identification and it’s still recommended by law enforcement professionals (LEPs) nationwide....
Alarm systems, security cameras and other high-tech solutions are not always as effective or as convenient as promised. Criminals know they might be arrested, but they also know they’re unlikely to be convicted unless certain measures are in place. That’s...
In the 1960s, my mother quit her job as a housewife and became a child transportation safety advocate. My father, a businessman, and us kids had to make a number of difficult adjustments. Who decides what technologies survive? In our lifetimes, we have seen some...
This wonderful 6-foot chalk drawing was created by a very talented incarcerated offender at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchelleville, Iowa, where our conference, the Iowa Statewide Forum On Public Safety, was held. Additionally, the lunchtime tour...
Do you know anyone who has an alarm system, but never sets it? I do, and it amazes me. Alarm system subscriptions are expensive — When you see those alarm system advertisements, they lull you with free installation, but the real money is in the monthly subscription...
Summertime—warm weather, time outdoors and relaxing with family and friends. If only peace of mind were as easy as a cool breeze on a warm summer day. Burglaries and thefts also occur Unfortunately, summertime is also a time when thieves are busy while we are relaxing...
Not your ordinary brutal murder — Kitty Genovese was murdered on March 13th, 1964 in New York City just outside her apartment building. There was something different about her killing. There are the facts, which got muddied, but the story about her brutal death and...
Big Data yesterday and today — According to Wikipedia, “big data” is an amalgam of data sets that are so voluminous and complex that traditional data-processing application software is inadequate to deal with them. Well, I have important news. The FBI and...
The police can’t do it without you — The police need your help and are still waiting. “Operation Identification was established to reduce theft and increase the recoverability of stolen property,” according to a report sent to the Unites States...
A commitment to our neighborhoods — Because of our ability to map the location of homes and businesses, we are proposing that for every pocket of 20 customers who purchase our security kit, a sign will be provided to the public works department to be erected in a...
A picture “ain’t worth squat” — A picture will never lead to a conviction. It might be worth a thousand words in journalism, but a picture “ain’t worth squat” to law enforcement professionals. Ask any defense attorney if they can get a person off if...
Intelligence gathering at the FBI — The largest division at the FBI is the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). In essence, it’s the FBI’s intelligence arm. It is the umbrella over a number of intelligence services including the National Crime...
What the National Property Management Association Is saying — The National Property Management Association (NPMA) states, “Throughout the month of March, Asset Management Awareness Month urges businesses and organizations to learn how improved asset and...
Go ahead, turn that university monitor around — Large universities in the United States are vast institutions with thousands and thousands of individual assets. Turn a computer monitor around in a university computer lab and you’ll see an asset tag with a number...
Enterprise Asset Management catches on — Operation Identification, even at the urging of law enforcement professionals, has never caught on among the public since it’s inception in 1963. But every global corporation and large manufacturer, every state and...
The value of a high-end purse — Without the serial number intact, the value of a high-end purse drops dramatically. Cut the serial number off and there is no resale value. Why thieves don’t rip off large institutions Thieves know that it’s the serial...
The suitability of the universal identifier — In the asset management trade, the universal identifier is a system by which most people will immediately get a hint as to who is the rightful owner of a piece of property. In our case, it’s easy enough for someone...
Statement of purpose — The goal of MyPropertyID is to solve a nagging societal problem that citizens think can’t be fixed. It is something every citizen should do in order to reduce the billions of dollars lost to burglary, theft and loss. It requires a...
My goal is to help good people — My primary goal in launching MyPropertyID is to help good people reduce the odds of being a victim of burglary, theft and loss by making a small, onetime investment in my product. My second goal is to reduce the workload of law...
Efficiently allocating time and resources is critical — Law enforcement agencies are spread thin. Running lean operations to save money for tax payers is critical in this day and age. It’s a very delicate balancing act to make sure law enforcement agencies stay...
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) established in 1967 — I suspect that most Americans are not aware that behind every local police report is an upload to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The NCIC was established in 1967. Just a few years after the...
The chain of custody begins when you submit your order — The chain of custody can be used to solve crimes. When I opened my commercial bank account, my banker asked me to describe the nature of my business. He then opened up about having his branch robbed at gunpoint...
Register your stuff like you register a car — When you buy a new car, you tag and title it. By law, there is a linking of the vehicle ID number (VIN) and you. This happens at the federal level, the state level and the county level. A massive database keeps track of...
Low-tech security alternative — Everybody recognizes the old Neighborhood Watch signs on the left, but does anyone recognize the old Operation Identification sticker on the right? The two systems used to be paired, but Operation ID was a hassle and inconvenient, so it...
How the private database protects you — You get a private database that keeps you in control. In other words, if someone recovers a piece of marked property and enters the asset tag ID number into the FOUND page, he or she will learn nothing about you. The system is...
Psyching out the bad guys — The bluff in burglary deterrence is real, but not with my system. You can buy a fake television. You can buy a barking dog alarm. You can buy a dummy camera. You can buy a dummy alarm box. When you go up to a house and see an alarm sticker...
The highly reliable ID tag — ID tags are still a viable security measure because they are the tip of the spear of a more complex system designed to safeguard property from theft and improve recovery. Yes, it’s low tech, but it’s a tried-and-true approach...
