Operation Identification
Operation Identification (or Operation ID) is a national community policing initiative in the United States that aims to deter property theft and facilitate the recovery of stolen property by encouraging citizens to mark valuable property with traceable identifiers, record serial numbers, and post warning signs.[1][2]
History
[edit]The first documented Operation ID program began in 1963 in Monterey Park, California.[3] The Chief of Police loaned citizens electronic etching equipment to mark their driver's license numbers onto property and register the property in a police database. Citizens then posted stickers around their house broadcasting their participation in Operation ID to would-be thieves. By 1972, the city reported that more than half of its approximately 11,000 homeowners were participating in the program and that the vast majority of burglaries were occurring in homes not participating in the program.[1]
The success of the Monterey Park program led to hundreds of other American and international law enforcement agencies adopting similar programs over the next decade.[1] In 1972, New York City, then the largest city in the United States, adopted an Operation ID program, encouraging residents to borrow city-issued tools to etch their Social Security numbers into their valuable property.[1] Los Angeles developed an Operation ID program using adhesive labels.[3]
In the 1970s, the United States federal government began a nationwide effort to encourage and support Operation ID programs, declaring it a major component of burglary reduction.[3] The federal government spent more than $100 million dollars on research and development, granting local programs funding for personnel and equipment.[1][2][3][4] Civic organizations and insurance companies also joined the effort and encouraged Operation ID programs in their communities.[3] Many insurance agents lent engraving tools and gave out window stickers to homeowners for free.[3] The FBI allowed local law enforcement agencies to enter Operation ID owner-applied identifiers into the FBI's National Crime Information Center database.[5] By 1974, the Department of Justice estimated more than 80 percent of American police departments had an Operation ID program.[3]
In 1977, FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley supported the creation of a National Committee on Operation Identification, composed of representatives from the National Sheriffs' Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Department of Justice, to promote Operation ID programs and recommend national standards.[5][6]
Modernly, Operation ID has not resulted in widespread public awareness or adoption, but many law enforcement agencies and universities still operate Operation ID programs.[2][7]
Community policing
[edit]
Beyond reducing property crime, one of the explicit goals of most Operation ID programs is to promote community relations with law enforcement.[5][8][9][10] One of the early adopter police chiefs explained:[8]
Throughout this entire program, we have involved as many members of the community as possible in the participation of local law enforcement. ... Should this program fail, we will have at least exposed a large group of citizens in this city to its police service and to the many problems of law enforcement.
The National Neighborhood Watch Program began in 1972, shortly after Operation ID.[11] Operation ID became a standard component of Neighborhood Watch programs.[3][12][13]
Asset management
[edit]Operation ID programs rely on the asset management strategies of tracking property and tracing ownership.[6]
Modernly, most asset management programs based on Operation ID track property using product serial numbers or unique owner-assigned numbers affixed or etched into property, with ownership information recorded in a database that may or may not be registered with law enforcement.[2][6][14][15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Ferretti, Fred (21 July 1972). "City Starts Burglary‐Prevention Program". New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d Shelness, Jon (February 2019). "The Origin and Evolution of Operation ID: A Strategy to Help Police Solve Crime" (PDF). The Property Professional. 31 (1): 22–24. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Heller, Nelson (May 1975). Evaluation of Operation Identification, Volume I, Phase I (PDF). The Institute for Public Program Analysis. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Voss, Allen. "Letter from the Director of General Accounting Office to the Attorney General (Apr. 1979)" (PDF). General Accounting Office. GAO. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Kelley, Clarence (November 1977). "From the Director". FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 46 (11). Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b c National Committee on Operation Identification (November 1978). "National Committee on Operation Identification Prescribes Basic Standards". FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 47 (11): 23–25. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Separovic, Craig; Brooks, David (2014). "Efficacy of property marking: Police identification of stolen property". Australian Security and Intelligence Conference Conferences. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ a b Davis, Orval (April 1969). "A Look at Technical Research and Development for Police Departments". FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 38 (4): 15–19. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ McGuire, Mary; Walsh, Marilyn (1981). The Identification and Recovery of Stolen Property Using Automated Information Systems. Seattle, WA: Battelle Law and Justice Study Center. pp. 76–79.
- ^ "New York Operation Identification Program Guide". National Institute of Justice. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
Operation I.D. is not only a property marking program; it puts the public in contact with police in a positive atmosphere, it is a physical program where citizens can actually do something, it raises consciousness about other crime prevention measures, it can lead to increased reporting to police by citizens.
- ^ "Welcome to the National Neighborhood Watch". National Neighborhood Watch. National Sheriffs' Association. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ National Neighborhood Watch Program (2005). Neighborhood Watch Manual (PDF). National Sheriffs’ Association. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Operation Identification". National Neighborhood Watch Institute. National Sheriffs' Association. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Operation Identification (2024)". Florida Polytechnic University. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "What is Police Operation ID?". MyPropertyId Registry. Retrieved 1 October 2024.