Police are hoping a special pen will provide a solution to the fight against crime.

Members of the public will be provided an ultraviolet pen capable of identifying stolen belongings as part of the Police UMark campaign which will be re-launched this weekend.

UMark is a simple method of marking one's property by engraving, electronic tagging and/or microdots. This latest effort will utilise an ultraviolet pen which dries clear but can be identified under blue light.

"It has been noticed from crime statistics that certain residential items are being targeted by the criminal fraternity such as laptops, computers, and flat screen televisions," said Sergeant Alex MacDonald of Crime Stoppers. "Many of these items have been recovered, but because of their generic nature, identifying and returning such to their owners can be problematic."

Valuables can be marked in a number of ways but the BPS Crime Prevention Unit recommends using the owner's initials and date of birth, or driving licence number.

A UMark registration form is then completed and forwarded to the BPS Crime Prevention Unit.

UMark stickers are applied to the items, a window or a door, to visually deter potential intruders.

Initially launched in the early 1980s, the campaign proved a major weapon against against theft. However, as the years passed, it fell dormant.

The increase of theft in recent years led the Police Crime Prevention Unit to revamp and modernise that early programme.

Argus, BF&M, Colonial Insurance and Data Tag Bermuda assisted Police in reintroducing it to the public last October.

According to Sgt. MacDonald, approximately 88 burglaries were reported in January, with the majority of stolen items resold, or traded for drugs.

"If the property is UMarked, it would be more difficult to sell or dispose of such property to a buyer," he stated.

"If the buyer is apprehended with an item that can be proven to be stolen, that person has also committed a criminal offence.

"Again, when stolen property is recovered, detectives will have the ability to track down ownership by checking the UMark against the centrally-maintained BPS data base."

Pens will be distributed as part of UMark packages containing stickers and registration forms during the Bermuda Realty Coldwell Banker Home Show 2009, which will run between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. at CedarBridge Academy on Saturday. Officers will also be on hand to show the best way to UMark property.

For more information on the show visit the web address at www.bermudarealty.com.