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As someone who deals with vehicle prowls, theft, and stolen property every day, here are a few things you can do to limit the chances of loosing your gear and help the cops catch the sh%theads who stole it.
Record all serial numbers and keep them in a safe place. If something does not have a serial number on it, write your name, initials, anything on it to identify it as yours. Give this info to the cops when your gear is stolen. I can't tell you how many times I have stopped cars that I KNEW had stolen property in them, got permission to search the car, and came up with nothing because I couldn't show that the items the person had in the car were the items that someone else had reported stolen. Even if a cop does recover your property, if he can't show that it is yours, it is almost impossible to return the item to you. The cops will probably never catch the person who stole your gear by proving they stole your gear, we normally get them for possession of stolen property.
If it is stolen, report it. A large part of deciding what areas get patrolled or get special details comes from the number of calls for service we get in any given area. If someone is working an area hard and we know about it, you can bet we will go after him (that's the fun part of the job!). Also if it isn't reported stolen, then the cops can't recover it. Get a case number from the officer. Stolen property reports go into a statewide database. This makes it harder for thieves to take your stuff out of county and sell it.
If your gear has been stolen, call up any store in the area that deals in used goods, and anyplace that buys scrap material if the item is made out of something recyclable. Tell them what was taken and describe it to them with as much detail as possible. Give them the case number. Visit these shops as often as you can and see what new merchandise might have made its way into the store's inventory. The cops won't do this because there are too many of these shops, and too few of us. Also, report the item stolen BEFORE you hit the shops.
Get the word out that your gear was stolen.
We need to look out for one another. If you see something that doesn't look right, it probably doesn't look right for a reason. This is a valid reason to call 911. It will generate a "suspicious" complaint and the cops will come out to take a look. Some of my best arrests have come from somebody getting a bad feeling about a guy and calling it in. If you come across an obvious vehicle prowl and the suspect has already left, go ahead and report it even if it was not your car. They might not send an officer out until the owner reports it, but it does help to establish a timeline. Most importantly, if you see a suspicious person hanging around an area, don't park there!
If your wallet was stolen as part of the deal then you are the victim of identity theft. Talk to the officer about what you need to do to protect yourself.
DO NOT LEAVE KEYS IN THE IGNITION, AND LOCK YOUR DAMN DOORS!!!! This is more of a problem with reasonable people than you would think. Also if you are going to leave your keys under your tires, somewhere in the undercarriage, or in a magnetic box on the car; you may as well leave them in the ignition with the doors unlocked.
As much as possible, do not leave valuables in the car. If you can't take them with you at least hide them. Don't leave extra boats on roof racks.
I am not trying to rub salt into anyone's wounds here by saying its the victim's fault. Blame<
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