Police pages ask you to keep a record of your valuable things, with serial numbers and photographs, and to mark them so they can be identified. Tasmania Police says photographs kept with your list may help police recover stolen items, and Victoria Police gives a marking format of its own.
A record earns its keep afterwards, when you report what was taken, which is why it sits at the last position of the bolt.
What to record
Tasmania Police gives the fullest version. It suggests a detailed list of your high-value items, covering the house, the garage, sheds, other outbuildings and any storage unit. For each item, where it applies, it suggests recording the purchase date, make, colour, size and serial number, and updating the list whenever you get something new. Photographs, kept separately or added to the list, may help police recover stolen items.
Victoria Police says to record serial and model numbers and to photograph any valuable items, and the WA Police Force says the same about serial numbers and photographs. Its checklist asks whether you keep a written and photographic record of your valuables.
| Item | Where kept | Purchase date | Make, colour, size | Serial number | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cordless drill | Shed | From the receipt | As on the tool | From the plate on the tool | Front, back and the serial plate |
| Laptop | Study | From the receipt | As on the box | From the label underneath | Closed, and the label |
Marking what you own
Each force suggests a different way of marking.
- VictoriaVictoria Police suggests marking valuables with the letter V followed by your driver’s licence number, giving V123456 as its example.
- TasmaniaTasmania Police suggests engraving high-value items where that is practical, giving power tools and equipment as examples. It also mentions a UV marker pen, noting that you will need a blue light to see the mark.
- WAThe WA checklist asks whether your valuables are marked and recorded for identification.
Phones, computers, bikes and vehicles
Victoria Police suggests a “find my” app on phones, computers and tablets, and backing up computer data. It also suggests GPS trackers or tags on vehicles such as cars, motorbikes and quad bikes. The WA Police Force’s tips include “find my” apps and GPS trackers on vehicles as well.
For bicycles, the WA checklist asks whether your bikes are registered on Bikelinc, and ACT Policing’s bike security page covers how to register a bike with Bikelinc. The same WA checklist asks whether vehicles, including bicycles and motorbikes, are secured when not in use, and whether laptops, tools and shopping are taken out of them.
Cameras: registering them in NSW
A record can also be of your security cameras. The NSW Police Force lists an online service to register business or residential CCTV details. Its Home safety page, linked at the foot of this one, is where to find it.
Keep the record, not the advertisement
The same pages that ask you to record your valuables ask you not to show them off. Victoria Police says not to leave the boxes from new purchases on the nature strip, because they tell thieves what you have inside. The WA Police Force suggests a post office or parcel locker for deliveries, and its checklist asks whether the packaging from expensive items is hidden in the bin, and whether personal information is taken off important documents before you throw them away.
Victoria Police also suggests a safe to store valuables.
When you need the record
If something is taken, the record helps with two of the steps Victoria Police lists after a break-in: reporting it to police and calling your insurer. The guide to what to do after a break-in sets out those steps in order, starting with your safety.
The record is the last position of the bolt; the first is the door itself. Police advice on doors and locks and going away cover the advice that keeps the list from being needed. All six positions are on the home page.