Reuniting people with their stolen property

Pc Calley Mackay specialises in reuniting people with their stolen property.



It’s her job to track down property stolen in burglaries and help bring those responsible to justice.

Based at Southend police station, Pc Mackay works with victims to collect serial numbers, photographs and descriptions of the stolen items to help her track them down.

Stolen property ranges from sentimental jewellery to unique musical instruments and Calley spends much of her time searching websites like eBAY and Mazuma Mobile as well contacting specialist shops and pawnbrokers to see if they have been offered the goods to sell.

Calley’s role forms part of Operation Skye – a crackdown on burglary in Southend and sees her build relationships with the local community to help them to help her find stolen property more quickly.

She said: "When I speak to the victims of burglary I can see how upsetting it is for them to have had someone enter their house and steal property they have worked hard for. The most upsetting is when items that have sentimental value are stolen. This tends to be jewellery passed on through generations and it’s heartbreaking for the victims.”

Pc Mackay said the best way people can help her is by marking their property.

"The best piece of advice I can give is keep a list of your property,” she said. “Mark generic items, for example televisions or electrical items, in some way - this way if it is stolen it will be easier to trace. Buy a UV pen and write your postcode all over your electrical goods.

"Make a list of electrical items and their serial numbers and make a list and keep photographs of your jewellery especially if it is unique.

"If you leave it too late and you become the victim of a burglary it will be very difficult to reunite you with your property if you haven’t taken these simple measures. I would appeal to people not to put it off and to do it now.”

For more crime reduction advice visit the Be Safe section of our website.