This is the first time a UK police force has integrated with a national database to automatically distribute information about all items reported stolen locally beyond its force, community and country.
Swift-Find receives information about stolen items from 28 major data sources, including Interpol and several government agencies. The North Wales police integration marks its first automatic hourly transfer of data from a UK police force.
The database of stolen items is available on the internet for anyone dealing in second hand goods to easily check if the item has been reported stolen.
Peter Chalinor, detective superintendent of the North Wales Police, said: “By automating the distribution of stolen valuables information throughout the country to the other participating police forces, as well as the pawnbrokers and auction houses, we expect to improve our rate of recovery and return while reducing the time and cost spent in administrative tasks.”
Swift-find claims that by transferring the information automatically, each participating force could save significant man hours per month in administrative tasks. Prior to this system, the force manually distributed stolen property information 24-48 hours after the event.
Swift-Find users can report items stolen and distribute the information globally within seconds of the event. The services are free for law enforcement organisations.
Swift-Find CEO Benny Arbel said: “Swift-Find is already the largest international online database of stolen property and is quickly becoming the standard for checking the likely integrity and authenticity of valuables.”
In 2004 our house was burgled, we lost various items including some home videos. In 2005 we were phoned by a police force in East London (can’t remember which one, possibly Canning Town) to say they had found the items and wanted to check they belonged to us, but could not return them because they were needed for an operation. The police had tracked us using the name “Shirin Hirsch” that appeared on one of the videos.
These items have personal value to us.
Is there any way of tracing them?
Robin Hirsch
37 Zealand Road