Watauga County Sheriff FAQ

If you are the victim of a larceny it is up to you whether or not you want to file a report.  If the item that was stolen has a serial number or an owner applied number (a number that you have etched or attached to the item) then there is a greater chance of recovering the item if it is pawned later on.  If an item is reported stolen and it has an identifying number we will enter that item as stolen in the NCIC database that is maintained by the FBI.  Unfortunately items that do not have unique identifying serial numbers or owner applied numbers are rarely recovered, so we encourage you to record all the identifying information of your valuables in a safe place.  Recently a website was released called Thug Trap that helps you organize your valuables and records the serial numbers, for free.  Please visit www.thugtrap.com for more information. 

Please note that insurance companies usually require an incident report be filed in order to compensate for losses incurred during a larceny.  If you need to file a report for insurance purposes please call our non-emergency line at 828-264-3761.