Check before you buy, with the CPIC public search

(HURON COUNTY, ON) -  A free on-line tool, available to the public, is being promoted by the Huron County OPP as a way to keep stolen property out of the hands of innocent victims. 

At this point, it’s not well known, but the public now has limited access to the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database to see if a motor vehicle or any other piece of property has been reported stolen.

With the increasing popularity of on-line auction sites and public trade websites, such as Kijiji, E-bay, and other on-line classified groups, police are often asked to query serial numbers of second-hand items that have been purchased or are about to be purchased.

Now members of the public can simply access the CPIC property site and complete their own checks. Any vehicle with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is searchable. This includes cars, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), motorcycles, snowmobiles, farm vehicles, trailers and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). 

Besides vehicles, you can search boats by the Hull Identification Number (HIN) or the registration number. Firearms and other items are searchable by their serial number.

Vehicle data is updated daily while property information is updated on a weekly basis.

So, the next time you are buying a used bicycle or stereo system, it would be advisable to take a couple of minutes and check on-line before you hand over your cash. Should you complete a check and get a message that the item is stolen. contact the nearest police agency for further assistance.

The following link will take you to the public CPIC search for stolen property: www.cpic-cipc.ca/index-eng.htm