A home burglary occurs once every 15 seconds in the United States and results in an average dollar loss of about $1,600. Sometimes, even though you’ve done everything right to protect your family and your home—including installing and using a home security system—the bad guys win. If you’re the victim of a burglary, you’re probably trying to figure out how you can get your stuff back.

Well, believe it or not there are some websites that can help you hunt down your items. Here are four of them to help you in your search:

1. Stolen 911 was founded as a public service to help recover stolen property and bring criminals to justice by Marc Hinch, a 21-year veteran police detective in California. Marc’s site allows anyone to submit details of theft, primarily vehicles, trailers, and high-value items like jewelry and collectibles, that are turned into detailed news articles, which can then be shared across social media sites with the potential to be picked up by major news organizations. All articles allow readers to submit tips to investigators aimed at solving crimes and recovering stolen items. Additionally, the Stolen 911 database is publicly accessible without the need for visitors to register. Since 2007, Marc has helped recover millions of dollars’ worth of stolen vehicles, jewelry, art, and more through this collaborative database.
2. Immobilize is a free, national online registry used to document and report stolen items, including jewelry, sports equipment, instruments, and electronics like laptops, tablets, and smartphones. While the service is free, users are required to create an account to document ownership details of valuable personal possessions or company assets. Information is stored on a secure database and is made accessible to law enforcement via the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR), which they use to trace the owners of lost or stolen property. Immobilize aims to offer a secure, reliable platform for people to protect their prized possessions and increase the chances of recovery in the event of a loss or theft.
3. Lostings is a free online lost and found resource. Users can easily view, report, describe, and categorize lost or found items along with location information, photos, in-depth details, and other identifiable information to match lost and found items with their rightful owners. Anyone can view the lost and found directory online; however, registration is required to post an item. Users receive email notifications and system alerts when similar or matching items are submitted. Lostings also offers enterprise solutions for industries including hospitality, higher education, restaurants, public transportation, and more.
4. Prey originally began as an app to help locate lost and stolen laptops, smartphones, and tablets has since evolved its model to offer a more comprehensive suite of business services, including device and data protection. Prey’s always-on tracking helps document device locations, ensuring devices are operated by authorized users. Geofence capabilities allow IT administrators to create authorized radii for device usage. They can also receive movement detection alerts and responses with automatic reactions to lock devices as needed. Some of the newer features also include remote access to retrieve documents, wipe proprietary information, and encrypt information on compromised devices. Plans are available for personal and business use; pricing varies depending on selected features.

Each of these websites is a good resource after the fact. However, in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so be sure to install a home security system to help protect your family and your property.

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