Most people do not think they will ever have to file a police report for stolen property, which is why so many reports that are filed are incomplete. If you want the police to be able to find your property, then you need to do work in advance and fill out a comprehensive police report. The strength of your police report depends on the information that you are able to offer.
Catalog Your Possessions
If you do not catalog your possessions, then you have no inventory list to check and see what items have been stolen. You also have nothing but vague guesses to give the police when it comes to your possessions.
The first step in cataloging your possessions is to make a list of everything you own that includes manufacturer, model number, serial number and description. This will help the insurance company to establish how much you will get paid if your possessions are not returned, and it will help the police to use pawn shops and other places to help track your possessions.
You should also take pictures of all of your possessions and store those pictures in a safe place. Your pictures should be hard copy and not digital to avoid the possibility that they could be lost.
Filling Out The Police Report
When you call the police, they will present you with a stolen items report to fill out. This is where the pictures of your possessions and your inventory will come in very hand. You will be able to give the police copies of the pictures and inventory list that contains all of the information.
As the police compile your report, be sure to insist on accuracy and answer all questions completely. When the police hand you the completed report, make sure the names of the officers compiling the report are included for later reference.
Check In Occasionally
Your comprehensive police report should help police to be able to track down your possessions. You should contact the police once a month to check on the progress of your case and see if any progress has been made. Your insurance company will also be in contact with the police to determine when it will be time to compensate you for your lost items.
When your possessions are stolen, you can feel helpless and angry. But when you prepare for these types of events properly, you will have the information you need to give the police a chance to find your possessions. Make sure that you help to compile a comprehensive police report and follow up with the police on occasion to see how your case is progressing along.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!