Tagga, click away crime is now free! TAGGA your goods and help kill the *illegal* second hand market!

It's official: Tagga is now free! No annual subscription fee. No catch - it's now a genuine community service with no fees to register nor search for stolen goods.

Do your bit to help kill the illegal second hand market and register now. If everyone registers and updates the system then it will be more difficult for the bastards to sell your stuff and profit from crime.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that you could also win R10,000 if you have that matching serial number: Click here to find out more: R10,000

From Tagga web site when registering:

"

TAGGA can be used FREE of charge. We are supported through various advertisers as well as the proceeds from our online shop.

So please support our sponsors and browse around our online shop.

Donations are also welcome.

Thank you for your support.

"

For more info see my previous blogs here:
http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2008/02/anti-theftanti-crime-web-site_05.html
http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2008/02/update-anti-theftanti-crime-web-site.html

Neighborhood watch goes hi-tech: WAP cell phone query for suspicious and stolen vehicles

Join your neighborhood watch and you too can assist by looking out for suspicious and stolen vehicles. The BKM watch (http://www.bkmwatch.org.za/) [Bergvliet, Kreupelbosch and Meadowridge] has just launched their latest high tech innovation: query their system using your cell phone while you're driving around, shopping, waiting for your wife/family, putting in petrol, etc. Access is via WAP over GPRS and is extremely cheap (cost <1c)

I've tried it and it works... After setting up my phone as described in a previous blog: (http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2008/03/in-this-day-and-age-im-amazed-by-low.html), you launch your phone's Internet browser, then log in using your pre-approved username, then enter any registration number... .the system then searches and return results.
The details returned include: details of crime (or when stolen) and who to contact to alert of the sighting.

See here for their user manual on how to use the system [40Kb]: http://www.bkmwatch.org.za/document.ashx?name=Suspicious_vehicles_via_your_cell_phone.doc

If you live in the area, then register here: http://www.bkmwatch.org.za/member_register.aspx (or email: crime@bkmwatch.org.za) else contact your neighborhood watch and help stop crime - it's time we all stood up against these *&@#-ing criminals!

Don't just say "it's fine, there are other people in the area doing their "watch" thing"! Get off your arse and do something!
If you can't patrol, then contribute financially and help cover the costs.

Come to think of it, the BKM watch web site is also a great example of using technology to fight crime.

They also use Google Earth as a tool to monitor incidents of crime and plot crime vs location to assist in crime fighting.
Criminals beware! The residents have awoken! Crime does not pay any more.

Oh, by the way, have you registered your valuables on Tagga yet - the R10,000 is still up for grabs! Don't be sorry later, do it now!

See here for more: http://handytechtips.blogspot.com/2008/03/ok-ok-i-did-need-incentive-i-can-win.html

Update: Anti-theft/anti-crime web site: http://www.tagga.co.za

Here's an update to my blog on 5th Feb 2008:

In the recent cases of mugging and theft of cell phones and other crimes, etc. etc. etc.... the victims would have tried to broadcast to all 2nd hand shops etc. that their belongings were now possibly going to be sold on the second hand market.....and to please contact the police if someone tried to flog their belongings to them. In fact, I heard one victim's husband calling the radio (Cape Talk 567) to notify people to watch out for his wife's Garmin watch.
In most cases, I am bold enough to assume, the serial numbers were not known....
If these people had used the http://tagga.co.za/ web site then it would have been easy to:
1) tag their items as stolen immediately after their unfortunate incidents; and
2) to also use the site to "remember" the serial numbers and report these to the police or other parties.

Some people have raised the concern of putting their possessions' details on the Internet - one must realise that the items are viewable by the general public only after you have tagged it as stolen. All other items and details are hidden from the public.
In any case, if you are nervous, then only provide the web site with your email address as the means for contacting you if/when an item of yours is recovered.
ie. don't provide any other details to the web site, and nobody will be able to link the list of items to you. In fact, when recording your goods, include as few details as you are comfortable with e.g. "TV in main bedroom": serial number: A34567890.
If it gets stolen, then update the details to something like: "Sony Vega 54cm colour TV" and tag it as stolen (and get the serial number A34567890 from the web site in case you need it for insurance purposes etc.)

Second hand stores like Cash Converters do not like stolen goods in their stores - it's a big problem when the police confiscate stolen goods from them: they lose money and lots of time trying to explain to the authorities where/who they got the goods from. They would also prefer to keep their reputation clean so that the general public use their stores to purchase legitimate products.
I have heard of certain store managers that have suspected that the goods were stolen and executed citizens arrests - the police were called and the law took its course...

At present there is no live system to publish lists of stolen goods to second hand stores. They rely on the victims and police faxing them the details/photos of the stolen goods. You can imagine how slow and inefficient this is!
http://tagga.co.za/ is an attempt to provide an up-to-date system where people can immediately broadcast what's been stolen, and for the purchasers to check before purchasing stolen goods and so, hopefully, stop fuelling this vicious cycle of the stolen second hand goods market.

Anti-theft/anti-crime web site: http://www.tagga.co.za

A colleague of mine has launched a web site that will attempt to kill the stolen goods market - if everyone in the neighbourhood registers (for a small annual fee, I think it's R50 per annum), then I'm sure it will go a long way to stopping theft and crime.

In short, when you are a victim of theft, the first thing you want to do is publish what was stolen so that anyone (with morals) can check before purchasing the "second hand" goods.
One way of doing that is to go onto the radio/mass media and tell everyone - this obviously could work, but it has a limited, once-off audience.
A better way of doing it would be to make a record (on the web site) of all the serial numbers etc. of your valuable possessions and when anything gets stolen you flag these items as stolen on the web site so any potential purchaser can search before purchasing. A reward can also be offered for the return of the goods!
Second hand stores like Cash Converters etc. are being encouraged to use the web site (for free) and check before purchasing the goods.

I would like to encourage everyone in our Neighbourhood watch area to register and start logging their possessions, and so help kill the stolen goods market!

Read here for more info: http://tagga.co.za

Check out their web site for other free services like: KeyFinder: http://www.tagga.co.za/KeyFinder