Online System “ReportIt” Helps Citizens Keep Track of Valuables

The McHenry County Sheriff’s office has tracked thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise from “ReportIt,” an online service that allows people to keep track of valuable property.

“We want to help you protect your valuables,” Undersheriff Andrew Zinke said.

Zinke encourages all residents to use ReportIt.

ReportIt is a secure online database service that allows citizens to record serial numbers and upload images of valuables.

If the valuables are ever stolen, sheriff’s detectives then use LeadsOnline _ affiliated with ReportIt _ to track and recover stolen property, Zinke said in a release.

Items such as jewelry, sporting equipment, tools, and electronics such as computers, cameras, televisions, GPS, and more can be tracked in the LeadsOnline database whenever sold to a pawn or secondhand shop, he said.

In 2009, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office became the lead agency to acquire and use LeadsOnline. The Sheriff’s Office has had great success using the online investigations system. LeadsOnline has assisted deputies in recovering thousands of dollars in stolen property in and around McHenry County.

A recent example of how the LeadsOnline system helped investigators is the recovery of multiple GPS’s and radar detectors from a string  of car burglaries happening near the Wisconsin border.

Another major case involved a nationwide theft ring. Two people were arrested after LeadsOnline assisted investigators in locating and recovering multiple snowmobiles and boats in several states. Multiple agencies were involved in this investigation and benefited from McHenry County investigators using LeadsOnline.

“In the event that one of our community members becomes a victim of a crime, we do our best to recover their property. This tool increases our chances of doing that,” Zinke said. “This record may also come in handy when filing claims with insurance providers in the event of loss caused by a criminal act, a natural disaster, or even a fire.”

To register your valuables, go to ReportIt.