The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging residents to use a free online system that will help keep track of personal property in the event of theft or loss.

ReportIt, found at www.reportit.leadsonline.com, is a free, secure online service that allows citizens to record serial numbers and upload images for phones, electronics and other valuables. Law enforcement officials stress that having the information will go a long way in accurately and quickly identifying your property.

The ReportIt service is part of LeadsOnline, the online system that works with law enforcement across the country to track and recover stolen property. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office has used LeadsOnline to help track and recover items such as jewelry, equipment, electronics, computers, cameras, designer clothing and other collectibles.

LeadsOnline allows detectives to search for items using a variety of parameters, including item descriptions and serial numbers. For example, 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 throughout the country.  Being able to track valuables stolen from such locations not only helps law enforcement recover your items, but it helps lead to the arrest of a criminal who makes their living preying on others.

By creating a ReportIt account, you can have pictures, descriptions, and serial numbers handy to provide to the reporting officer. This will assist detectives in comparing pawned items to that of the victims.  A ReportIt account is password protected and is only accessible to the owners themselves. The reporting individual can access and share with officers in the event of a theft.  Law enforcement personnel do not have access to any passwords or personal information.