The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department has a new piece of equipment to help deputies and property owners alike.
Investigators have acquired an engraving machine to stamp an identifying number onto trailers, which are among the most frequently stolen items across the county.
“Property crimes detectives have devised a system to make sure any trailer owner who wants to take part in the program can bring a trailer to us for marking with a specific number,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “We document the unique number and give a record of the number to the owner.”
Koon said if the trailer is ever stolen, the unique number provides something for investigators to enter into the National Crime Information Center’s stolen property database. The number will also serve as a way to confirm the trailer belongs to a certain person and return it to the owner if recovered.
“We want to make this program available to anyone who would like an extra layer of security when it comes to their trailer,” Koon said. “Our next event to make this free service available will be co-hosted by the Pelion Police Department March 18 at our South Region office on Airport Road in Pelion.”
The event will start at 8:30 and anyone with a trailer in line before noon will receive a number stamping on their trailer, according to Koon. The process, including paperwork, takes about five minutes per trailer.
Koon said W.M. Roebuck Inc., the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Foundation provided donations so the foundation could purchase the machine, and related equipment for the Sheriff’s Department.
“These small numbers stamped on a trailer will be a big tool for detectives to track and, hopefully, recover more stolen trailers and get them back to their rightful owner,” Koon said.
