NCJ Number
225554
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 35 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 128,130-132,134
Date Published
October 2008
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the continual growth and effectiveness of the database service called SIRAS which offers law enforcement access to almost a century of accumulated product lifecycle information and a resourceful tool to help solve retail and credit industry fraud.
Abstract
Originally developed for Nintendo of America, Inc., in the 1990s to track gaming system sales and prevent fraudulent returns, the SIRAS database has evolved into a helpful tool for various entities throughout the vertical product lifecycle. The database has been collecting transaction information on products, mostly electronics since 1999. The system tracks items through the sales lifecycle, keeping a comprehensive history on the item to help law enforcement officials identify stolen merchandise, report suspicious items, and catch thieves. Now the company is offering law enforcement free access to SIRAS Product Information (P.I.) where law enforcement can determine the status of an item and deduct meaningful information from general transaction data. Because SIRAS P.I. is an extension of SIRAS, the data collected has already been paid for by retailers and manufacturers who use the service to track merchandise. SIRAS has the ability to connect all entities of the process to make it a closed-loop system, simultaneously saving the retail and credit industries money by preventing fraudulent transactions as well as giving law enforcement a tool to help solve more crimes.