To abate the growing problem of check fraud within the local
business community, the Hollister Police Department is starting a
program to track thieves by their thumbprints.
Hollister – To abate the growing problem of check fraud within the local business community, the Hollister Police Department is starting a program to track thieves by their thumbprints.
Through the newly developed program We Print – We Participate in Reducing Identity and Name Theft – the police department will provide businesses with a fingerprinting kit so customers paying with a check can imprint a concrete identification on it.
In 2004, the police department received 80 cases of check/identity theft stemming from forged or counterfeit checks, said Police Chief Jeff Miller. Unlike a check declined for insufficient funds, when a forged or counterfeit check is passed there is no recompense for the business owner, Miller said.
And in many cases people come into town, pass a batch of forged checks and are gone – leaving police with no leads and unsuspecting small business owners out of pocket, he said.
“The community loses money every year on this one. We’ve had some stores hit pretty hard for thousands of dollars,” he said. “We’re hoping if enough businesses participate that people who want to pass forged checks in Hollister will think twice.”
If a forged check is passed and the suspect’s thumbprint is embedded on it, the police department, and if needed the state Department of Justice, can run that print and hopefully come back with a match, Miller said.
The department received $250 donations from San Benito Bank and Community Bank of Central California to purchase 100 ink pads, which it will offer first to businesses who experience the largest volume of check fraud and then to other businesses who wish to participate, Miller said.
Miller worked hand in hand with the Hollister Downtown Association, San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce to ensure the program’s success, he said.
HDA Executive Director Liz Sparling championed the idea and said many small businesses downtown feel financial strain due to fraudulent checks.
“It’s definitely going to help ease the burden. Downtown merchants, they have to foot the bill,” she said. “If we can eliminate that, they can put that money toward other uses.”
The program is voluntary, but Miller said businesses that participate will receive first priority from investigators if they receive a forged or fraudulent check.
“The bottom line is that this will reduce the incidence of this type of theft and fraud in Hollister, which helps the business community and in turn results in lower prices,” Miller said. “If they reduce that, everybody wins.”
To learn more information about the We Print program or to participate, contact the Hollister Police Department at (831) 636-4330.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
