SECURITY MARKINGS Visible security markings deter thieves while covert ones
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
can help police recover property and identify criminal activity. To charge someone with a theft offence, police have to prove that a piece of property belongs to someone else. Security markings help them do that,' points out Simon Hurr, an ex-policeman who is now Ford's vehicle security application specialist.
Ford offers Retaina Group security marking as an option, but lveco has gone a step further and is using the same system to mark 14 key components, including windscreen and side windows and catalytic converters on every truck and van as part of pre-delivery inspections.
"It's a deterrent in the first instance, and marking components makes them easily identifiable as stolen property" says lveco's Robin Barker.
"Retaina matches stolen vehicle reports from the Police National Computer database with its own records, and tells us of any !veal vehicles that have been stolen so we can alert dealers."
The kits are simple enough for operators to do it themselves, says Terry Gibson, operations director for Retaina. "There are two etching liquids: one for glass which is clearly visible, and one for metal or plastic components, which is visible under ultraviolet light. The etching fluid marks the code on the glass or component, and we also attach a non-destructible label with a telephone number on the label to make it easy for police to verify that the VIN matches the code.
If thieves try to remove the label, it breaks up into tiny pieces. The code is unique to the VIN, which we hold on our International Security Register database."