About Chipping of Goods
The Home Office launched the Chipping of Goods Initiative in March 2000 to show how property crime can be reduced throughout the retail supply chain using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based information management systems. This strategic initiative in partnership with stakeholders from a range of product sectors is delivering new technologies, case studies and reference sites that will enable industry to reduce crime and become more efficient in their business processes.
£5.5m of government funding has been more than matched by investment from project partners to establish eight world class demonstrator projects that show the effectiveness of chipped goods in combating crime and will accelerate the wider up-take of information management systems based on RFID technology.
The Initiative is in response to the urgent need to reduce the cost of property crime, to relieve pressure on Police resources and to trace the ownership of stolen goods.
The widespread chipping of goods is likely to help address key requirements of the Home Office and policing services in terms of:
- knowing whether goods have been stolen;
- providing proof of ownership of goods;
- providing an audit trail to show where goods have been, and who was involved in handling them during their life cycle.
The private sector has seen the benefits of integrating crime reduction initiatives into their risk management strategies and is now working in partnership with government to actively 'design out crime' in the development and delivery of goods and services.