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Using Ultra Violet to Protect Your Belongings

By: Jack Claridge - Updated: 21 Sep 2012 | comments

One of the most common crimes in the United Kingdom is that of theft and at least one in three of us has had an item stolen from them at one time or another during the course of their lives. So it is important where possible to protect yourself and your belongings from theft and one of the ways in which to do this is to use Ultra Violet.

Theft in the Home

Burglary is high on the list of crimes in which the theft of personal belongings is prevalent. So much so that insurance companies now openly encourage home owners – new and old – to have their household goods marked indelibly to help increase the chances of recovering them after they have been stolen. Indeed theft from the home has become increasingly popular as a means of obtaining money for criminals especially with so much of today’s household technology revolving around computers, high end televisions, jewellery, mobile telephone technology and games consoles – all of which can be passed on or ‘fenced’ quickly on the black market.

Ultra Violet and Indelible Inks

Indelible inks are inks which are invisible to the naked eye but can be seen under the rays of an ultra violet light. Ultra violet lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes and allow not only for the showing up of inks on household goods but also can be used to check on the validity of bank notes.

You can buy a UV lamp from most high street locksmiths or DIY stores and they usually come complete with a UV ink pen which can be used to mark your belongings.

How to UV Protect Your Household Goods?

Mark all of your goods in the same way so that if they are removed from your home during a burglary they can be identified easily if found by the police. The best way in which to do this is to write your postcode and initials in UV ink on the reverse or underside of the goods in question. Items worth marking are anything in your home that can be easily lifted and carried away such as:

Televisions
Computers
Stereo equipment
Games Consoles
Video and DVD equipment

Although the above list is generally what most burglars will aim to take from your home if they manage to gain entry you should mark as much of your household belongings as you can. As we have already said most burglars will try to off load the stolen goods as quickly as they can and may do so in your neighbourhood so UV marking is always the best and first line of defence and your greatest chance of getting the items back.

Home Security

As well as protecting your goods by labelling them with UV ink you should also make every effort to ensure that where possible your home is as difficult for any would-be burglar to get into as possible. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this but the most useful are:

Have a burglar alarm fitted
Fit new locks to windows and doors
Ensure all gates are properly locked at night
Use timers for lighting if you are on holiday
Have a neighbour keep an eye when you are away

The previous list are ways in which most insurance providers will ask you to help make your home burglar proof.

If you have a neighbourhood watch scheme running in your area and have not already joined it may be worth doing so. Indeed if there is no neighbourhood watch scheme in your area it may be worth discussing with your local community policeman the setting up of such a group.

Most burglars operate on the defence that they have acted out of an opportunistic impulse; this is not the case. Burglars often spend a lot of time getting to know the routines of potential victims so anything you can do to combat this – such as the neighbourhood watch scheme or outside surveillance equipment – is an added step that is well worth taking.