Insurers, Rental Firms Help National Crime Database Reach 'Critical Mass'
Six years ago, a former paratrooper for the British Army landed in New York City with the idea to help construction equipment owners prevent jobsite theft and recover stolen machinery. His idea is now one of the leading tools police use to identify stolen equipment.
David Shillingford, president of National Equipment Register, got the idea of building a central database of stolen equipment after working at The Art Loss Register, a U.K.-based firm that records stolen pieces of fine art and helps police identify them.