After he thought for a while, Burke remembered his couch had a distinct mark: One of his kids had taken a permanent marker and drawn a line on the otherwise pristine piece of furniture. When it came to identifying his dining room table, fortunately Burke was able to locate a picture that included the piece of furniture in the background. In those two instances, local police were reassured knowing the stolen property was returned to the rightful owner. However, many others don't have any way of identifying their property should a similar crime happen to them, according to Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison. "It benefits us," he remarked. "It also is going to benefit you in the event that you have to make an insurance claim. You can substantiate your possessions." He noted his department has seen an "above normal" increase in property crimes in the past year so keeping a record of your possessions could be beneficial should you become victim of a burglary. Recovered property, however, won't be released until police are sure who the items belong to, according to Harrison. "It really puts us in a dilemma trying to return the property," he said. Last year when a Warrenton jewelry store was raided by police, Harrison's office was bombarded by calls from people who told him they had rings and necklaces inside the store at the time. While some jewelry was knowingly being repaired and tagged noting ownership, others weren't. Harrison said it's been difficult trying to find whether the jewelry was being sold legally by the store owner or whether it was there for repair. Without someone having a way to identify the item, such as a purchase receipt, he noted there's no easy way to try to determine who the item rightfully belongs to. Harrison suggests residents should keep a written log of the make, model, serial number and value of their property. Pictures also are an easy way to identify a person's belongings. Since some serial numbers are attached with adhesive tape, he also recommends etching or engraving a unique, hidden mark on stereo equipment, televisions and even tools. "Any marking system you can tell me in a time of theft, it's an absolute identifier," Harrison said. "It doesn't have to be sophisticated." Should county residents feel like they need help on logging their property, Harrison stated in the past he has offered to help those get started. Unfortunately, no one has ever taken him up on the offer. "I would make those services available because in the end it benefits my agency," he said. "Hopefully you never need them." He stressed it's vital for residents to keep tab of their property. Burke will be the first one to tell you his happy ending benefited from one simple mark. "I'm going to go home and take pictures of all my stuff," he quipped.