There are three types of lost property records that can show up in the results of an NMPR search. These records are important for being able to identify property that may not be in the possession of the legal owner but in a ‘no crime’ situation. They will also flag up as lost in second-hand trade checks through CheckMEND (www.checkmend.com) helping to further increase the chances of identifying and recovering lost property.
When police users conduct NMPR searches on property that may have been recovered or handed in by a member of the public it is important to be aware of what each type of loss report is and where it comes from.
Report My Loss
A dedicated lost property reporting service available at www.reportmyloss.com that has a reporting fee for creating a lost property report using it. The service is primarily used by members of the public to make detailed lost property reports that will clearly describe the missing property as well as the circumstances behind the loss and the location of where the loss is believed to have taken place.
Lost property reports created through Report My Loss can be searched through the NMPR both by using the standard search tool to search unique identification numbers and by using the ‘Report My Loss’ search tool to search based on a variety of additional information such as key words, loss locations and approximate loss dates. This makes it possible for a search to match with reported items that may have not have unique identifier numbers.
A lost property report created through Report My Loss will generate a unique lost property reference number that can be validated by insurance companies at https://www.reportmyloss.com/uk/verify. This makes it a popular service for insurers to refer claimants to when they are making a lost property report.
Immobilise
An online property registration service available at www.immobilise.com that can be used by members of the public to register their property free of charge. Standard NMPR searches conducted on identification numbers will match with the identifiers registered to a users property making it possible to identify who an item has been registered to and how to contact them.
Items registered to Immobilise can be flagged up by the account holder as either Lost or Stolen. These flags will appear in the NMPR results making it easier to identify potential circumstances behind how the item went missing and if it might not currently be in possession of its legal owner.
NMPR Reporting
Police users of the NMPR have the option to create their own lost property records using the reporting tools available in the NMPR through the ‘Data’ options dropdown menu. Although police forces are not obligated to take lost property reports from members of the public there may be situations where it would be considered beneficial to be able to do so. This method allows the NMPR user to report multiple items of lost property under a lost property reference number that will need to be generated by the police force taking the lost property report.
Once an item has been registered as lost the record will appear in any standard NMPR searches carried out on a matching identification number.
Recommending lost property reporting methods to the public
When it comes to what option of loss reporting a member of the public should use and what police staff could recommend to them this can vary depending on the circumstances.
When to use Report My Loss: This method of loss reporting offers the best chance of reuniting a person with their lost item of property. It is also what we would recommend should a lost property report be required for completing an insurance claim. The cost for using this service however means that it may not be practical for low value items.
When to use Immobilise: This method of loss reporting can work well with items of property that have identifier numbers such as a serial number and no requirement for insurance claims. It can be particularly beneficial for users who have registered property to their Immobilise account inventory prior to its loss as they can then quickly and easily log in and mark the item as lost in just a few clicks.
When to use NMPR reporting: This method of loss reporting may not be available if your police force no longer issues its own lost property reference numbers. If you can generate a loss reference number however then it can be used to ensure lost property is been correctly registered onto the NMPR. This can be particularly helpful when assisting members of the public with for example a disability or limited access to the internet.
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