KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The FBI has launched a new app for people to view stolen art and submit tips to help it gets back where it belongs.
The FBI announced the new app on Thursday. With the the FBI National Stolen Art File, users can access a database of stolen pieces of art and culturally significant property, the release states. The items shown in the app are submitted to the FBI’s National Stolen Art File (NSAF) by law enforcement agencies in the United States and across the world.
“Art enthusiasts, collectors, and law enforcement can now search the FBI’s National Stolen Art File app.” The FBI says.
According to the FBI, the NSAF helps law enforcement close cases and return pieces of art and property to their rightful owners.
“One of the biggest evolutions for NSAF was making it publicly available,” said Colleen Childers of the FBI’s Art Crime Program. “Now, with the new mobile upgrade that we’ve undergone, we want to continue to push to make it a more user-friendly platform.”
While the app was created with law enforcement and art-industry partners in mind, the FBI says anyone can use it to verify that art or antiquities they own or are looking to buy aren’t actually stolen property. The app allows people to:
- Search and filter stolen art by location, description, type of art, and more.
- Display the information most relevant to you.
- Save pieces of art to a favorites page and easily access them later.
- Share stolen art entries via text, email, or social media.
- Submit tips to the FBI directly from the app.
The app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
