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Theft
Property crimes, such as burglary and theft, are some
of the most common crimes that occur in Monterey County. It is important
for citizens to join with law enforcement in the prevention of these
crimes by being watchful in their neighborhoods, reporting suspicious
activities, noting the license plates of suspicious vehicles, locking
their residences and vehicles, and engraving their personal property.
We encourage you to use Forms listed on the right side of this page for
a fast and convenient method of reporting incidents to our office.
Stolen Vehicles
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office refers reports
of stolen vehicles to our partners at the California Highway Patrol. In
our area, the CHP Monterey Station is located at 19055 Portola Drive,
Salinas, 93908 and can be reached by calling 831-455-4800.
Lost/Stolen Cell Phones
If you cell phone is lost or stolen, immediately
contact your service provider and cancel your service. This may prevent
you from having to pay for unauthorized calls and charges. Review
billing statements and save for deputies if further investigation is
needed.
Lost/Stolen License Plate
If your license plate is lost or stolen, you must
replace it immediately. You can do this by requesting duplicate or
substitute license plates through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
After submitting an
Incident Form for a Lost/Stolen Plate to the Monterey County
Sheriff,
visit the DMV web site for more information on getting a new plate.
Lost/Stolen Property
Collect all serial numbers and model number for
stolen items before you begin a report form. Serial numbers are the most
important. They get entered into the nationwide stolen property computer
database to identify your items as stolen property. Think about places
you may have the number available, such as receipts, on the original
packaging, insurance forms.
Operation Identification - Engraving and Inventories
For your reference, Operation Identification
is in place at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and can help in
prevent future incidents. Operation Identification is a citizen’s
burglary prevention Operation Identification is a citizen’s theft
prevention / property identification program for use in homes and
businesses.
Identification involves the marking of property with
an identifying number as a means of discouraging burglary and theft.
This number also helps law enforcement agencies identify your property
should it be lost or stolen and return it to you.
WHAT SHOULD I ENGRAVE?
All items that might be attractive to a thief, such as radios,
televisions, camera equipment, stereos, small appliances, tools, and
sports equipment, should be marked. Small or very valuable items such
as jewelry or antiques can either be engraved by a jeweler or
photographed for identification purposes.
WHAT NUMBER SHOULD I USE?
Telephone numbers and addresses can obviously change. Mark your
valuables by inscribing your driver’s license number and state
identifier (i.e. CA for California). If you do not drive, mark
valuables by engraving your identification card number, which can be
obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
WHERE DO I GET AN ENGRAVER?
To mark your property, you can purchase an engraving tool at a
hardware department and variety shores. There are relatively
inexpensive. Call your local sheriff’s department to see if it has an
electric engraver tool to borrow. Be sure to return the engraver
within the loan agreement time so others can use it. Before marking
your property, practice using the engraving tool. It can be adjusted
for surface differences.
WHERE SHOULD I MAKE THE ENGRAVING?
One of Operation ID’s objectives is to warn burglars away. Do not
try to hide the fact that an item has been engraved. Mark items as
conspicuously as possible without defacing them. Make sure it is
permanently affixed to the item and not on removable parts. For
further protection, engrave some items a second time in a more obscure
spot.
WHAT DO I INVENTORY?
Make a list of the engraved items including the make, model, size,
color, and serial number, as applicable. Record the exact spot where
you have engraved the item. Keep this record at home for reference and
additions. Keep a copy in a secure place such as a safe deposit box.
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Incident Report Forms:
Back to
Forms page
The following forms are for you to save,
print and fill out, then submit in person or by mail (instructions
and/or mailing
addresses are included with or on each form).
Forms-
-License Plate Theft
-Theft/Burglary
-Fraud/Identity Theft
-Littering
-Vandalism
Note: These forms are in .pdf format,
and Adobe Reader is required to view, save and print them.
(Get Adobe Reader free and learn more about it) |
