Operation Pawntrace

"Operation Pawntrace" is a program conducted by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department (as well as many others in the U.S.) as a way to track valuable that have been stolen and then pawned for money. Simply mark your property with your Missouri driver's license number and then follow it with "KCMO."

For example, 123456789KCMO.

Inventory all of your property (make, model number, serial number, etc.) and then place in a safe place. Pawn shop employees enter this information into a database which is checked daily by property crimes detectives.

When you file a police report with the information you have recorded, the pawned items can be located, along with suspect information.

Source: KCMO Police Department web site, Crime Prevention Handbook, pg 18.