Operation ID Information
Operation ID is a campus program designed to discourage theft of valuables from your residence hall. It also provides a way for you to easily identify your property if it is stolen. Because it reduces the profit from crime, this program has dramatically reduced burglary in campus residences where the majority of the residents have joined. Most thieves steal valuables for resale. If you mark all items with permanent identification numbers, the perpetrator may be unable to sell them. If a criminal knows that all valuables in your room are marked, he or she will look for easier and more profitable victims.
Operation ID works even if your property is lost or stolen. The permanent identification number helps the police contact you when the property is recovered and lets you identify your valuables so they can be returned to you.
How Do You Join Operation ID
Contact Life Safety Services or your FR to make an appointment to participate in Operation ID. You will be instructed in using the engraver and the areas to mark your property so that it will be highly visible. You will also be given an Operation ID record sheet. When all of your property is marked, you can turn a copy of your sheets into Life Safety Services and you will be given an Operation ID emblem to place on your door to warn the would-be criminal.
What Numbers Do You Use?
A typical marking should look like this:
John Q. Student (your name) XXXX-XXX (a number you specifically pick, should be several characters in length)
Representatives from Life Safety Services, as well as your FR, will be available to assist you in determining the most appropriate place for you to mark your valuables.
- Engrave any valuable which can be carried away from your residence.
- Engrave as many items on the check list regardless of value.
- Mark the item in a highly visible area that can be found and traced by law enforcement agencies. A second number may be hidden if you wish.
- You should also place inconspicuous identifying marks on clothing and take photographs of jewelry, watches and other items that may be damaged by engraving.
- After engraving your property, complete your Operation ID record. You may wish to make a duplicate list and keep one in a safe deposit box.
- Don’t display Operation ID emblems unless you have engraved your property.
- When marking CDs use a permanent marker and mark the case and the item on the top side by the label.
Operation ID Check List
(This is only a sample of the items that should be marked)
| Bicycles | Binoculars | Calculators |
| Cameras | Cell Phones | Clothing |
| CD Players | Computers/Laptops | DVD Players/VCRs |
| Gaming Systems | Games and Accessories | Guns/Weapons |
| iPods | Jewelry | Metal Lock Boxes |
| Microwaves | Musical Instruments | Power Tools |
| Stereos (home and vehicle) | Refrigerators | Speakers |
| Televisions | Video Cameras | Watches |
| Sporting Equipment (i.e. golf clubs, fishing equipment, rollerblades, etc.) | ||
Be sure to return the engraver within the loan agreement time. There are other students waiting to use the equipment.
What Else Can You Do?
Operation ID is just one of the simple, inexpensive and effective steps you can take to prevent residence hall thefts. You should also follow other precautions such as: always locking your room, even when leaving for just a minute.
For other information about Crime Prevention precautions you can take to protect your property, contact Life Safety Services at 320-363-2144 or [email protected]
THANK YOU FOR JOINING OPERATION ID