New anti-theft tech helps return stolen loot

Pinole police are attempting to return more stolen property to victims by introducing a tool that links the property to its owner.

Police said they are introducing Anti-Theft Dots, a substance with a unique personal identification number (PIN) for each property owner.

Property owners place the substance on the property, such as a bike or boat, and register the PIN with the Law Enforcement National Recovery Database, according to police.

The biggest challenge police face with property crime is finding the owner of the stolen property. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 80 percent of property recovered by police is never returned.

Pinole police said they will be one of the first agencies in the Bay Area to use the new anti-theft technology.

Officers with the Pinole Police Department will have tools to determine whether a piece of property is marked with the substance and a tool to read the substance’s PIN, police said.