Sunbury Police Department Recommends Online System to Help Citizens Keep Track of Valuables

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Sunbury Police Department

Nov 13, 2013, 09:35 ET

Sunbury, OH (PRWEB) November 13, 2013 -- Sunbury Police Department encourages all residents to use a free online system that will help keep track of valuable and invaluable personal property. ReportIt is a free, secure online service allowing citizens to record serial numbers and upload images for phones, electronics, and other valuables.

Should those items ever be stolen, Sunbury Police says having the information will go a long way in accurately and quickly identifying your property. This record may also come in handy when filing claims with insurance providers in the event of loss. Citizens wanting to participate in ReportIt can register for the free service at reportit.leadsonline.com and begin building their personal property inventory list.

The ReportIt service is a part of LeadsOnline, the online system that works with police across the country to track and recover stolen property. The Sunbury Police Department recently began using LeadsOnline in October 2013 to help track and recover stolen property ---- everything from jewelry to sporting equipment to electronics, computers, cameras, and other items such as designer clothing, collectibles, and other items with invaluable personal worth. The system allows detectives to search for the items using a variety of parameters, including item descriptions and serial numbers. When an item is sold to a pawn or secondhand shop, the product information is entered in the LeadsOnline database and is immediately viewable by participating law enforcement agencies across the country.

“This is the largest online investigative system of its kind nationwide. Our investigators are using it to solve crimes ranging from burglaries to homicides by instantly searching for missing items in the transaction records of businesses across the area and the country. We appreciate the support of our local businesses as they work with us to serve our community,” said Sergeant Delbert Leasure.

Without LeadsOnline, investigators had to undertake a time-consuming process of visiting all the stores in the area, collecting paper tickets and computer diskettes, and manually filing the tickets into a database. Keeping up with the volume of information was costly and overwhelming, and detectives were limited to searching for stolen property within the city. With LeadsOnline, information is automatically collected from businesses each day. Sunbury businesses that accept merchandise from the public throughout the area are now reporting electronically via LeadsOnline.

“More than 2,700 law enforcement agencies and businesses across the country are using the system to the benefit of countless victims of crime. We’re excited about the opportunity to serve Sunbury and are expecting great results,” said Dave Finley, CEO of LeadsOnline.

Here are a few success stories:

  • A detective in a Seattle suburb recovered electronic equipment, valued at $1.7 million, stolen from a telecommunications company. It was the largest property recovery recorded in Washington law enforcement history.
  • Arlington, Texas, Police caught a capital murder suspect when items from the crime scene were sold the same day.
  • Fort Wayne, Indiana, Police responded to a burglary call concerning a missing PlayStation. After interviewing the young man who was babysitting at the residence, the responding officer decided to run his name through LeadsOnline. Not only did he instantly find the missing PlayStation, he also found the young man had pawned his fiancées’ engagement ring that had been missing for two days.
  • Marion County Police in Ohio solved multiple burglary cases and arrested six suspects in the first hour of using LeadsOnline.
  • Jasper County, Missouri Sheriff’s Officers responded to a burglary of a home in which several guns and a four-wheeler were stolen. Six weeks later an investigator doing a regular check of LeadsOnline discovered two of the guns in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, about 125 miles away. The weapons were secured, the suspect was caught and made a full confession, and all of the other items were returned. The victim had his property returned and the suspect went to jail. Detectives say they may never have solved this case without LeadsOnline.

For more information, contact Sergeant Leasure or visit http://www.leadsonline.com.

Delbert L. Leasure, Sunbury Police Department, 740-965-3946, [email protected]