iPhone5-34Flat-iOS7_PRINTA group of Washington police chiefs are urging citizens to sign up for a free service that helps people locate stolen property.

Police departments from Auburn, Federal Way, Kent, Renton and Tukwila are partnering with Trackmole, a cloud-based software that lets people register the serial numbers of their electronics.

“This is another tool that we will have to better serve our residents and victims of crime in recovering lost or stolen property,” Renton Mayor Denis Law said in a statement. “It should also result in more arrests.”

Trackmole, which was developed by Renton police officer Shawn Tierney, is essentially a database. If police — or anyone else — recovers a lost item, they can input the serial number into the Trackmole system. If a citizen previously entered that information, he or she would immediately receive an email notifying them of the recovered property.

Trackmole notes that fewer than five percent of Americans record serial numbers of products like phones, laptops and tablets.

“By utilizing TrackMole you have a 100 percent better chance at getting lost, stolen, and left behind property quickly returned,” the company states in its FAQ.

Trackmole ensures that only law enforcement will have the ability to see your contact information. You can sign up here.

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