Fingerprints	Dirt/Dust Impressions	Footprints
Blood Traces	Tire Marks	Tool Marks

3. After the crime scene has been processed, conduct an inventory to discover what has been stolen. You may not have all the information available at the time of the initial report taken by the patrol officer. This is to be expected. The officer will give you a yellow receipt from the Preliminary Investigation Report (crime report). This is not a copy of the crime report – only a portion of it. The unique report number (DR No.) in the upper right box will not be complete because this requires data entry into a computer at the police station. The receipt will give instructions on how to obtain a copy of the completed crime report. Even if a copy is not needed for insurance purposes, it is a good idea to order your own copy and store it in a safe place. Your art may not surface for many years and there is no guarantee that the police will still have the report on file proving you were the victim of a crime. You may be given a Victim’s Supplemental Property Loss Report to fill out to provide a more complete description of the property taken. When you describe the property, use the Object ID Checklist. This will ensure that you provide a description that will make your property unique and identifiable. Providing photos of your art will greatly increase the chances of recovery. When you have completed the form, you can mail or deliver it to the detective at the local police station.

4. After the crime report has been taken, it will usually take a day or two for the report to be approved, duplicated, and distributed to detectives. If the detective has not contacted you within a few days, call the police station and find out who is handling your case. Initiate a dialog with the detective, providing any additional information, theories, or suspicions you might have about the case and offering any assistance the detective might need. This may include getting additional information about the property taken and coordinating efforts with the detective to distribute crime alert flyers to dealers, auction houses, and galleries where the property might surface. Show an interest in your case. Keep a chronological record of all your efforts to find and recover your property in case the issue of due diligence arises later.

5. Make sure the detective reports the stolen art to the Art Loss Register and the FBI’s National Stolen Art File. In some cases, Interpol should also be notified.