AN EXCERPT FROM AN EVALUATION REPORT ON OPERATION IDENTIFICATION IN ILLINOIS TRACES THE HISTORY OF THAT PROJECT. A NORTH CAROLINA CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING AGENCY'S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROJECTS IS PRESENTED. LEAA NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM REPORT ON OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROJECTS PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE NATURE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECTS. THE MAJOR FINDINGS ARE THAT MOST OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROJECTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENLIST ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, THAT THE COST OF RECRUITING AND ENROLLING PARTICIPANTS IS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, THAT PARTICIPANTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER BURGLARY RATES, THAT COMMUNITIES WITH PROJECTS HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED CITYWIDE REDUCTIONS IN BURGLARY RATES OR APPRECIABLE INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF APPREHENDED BURGLARS, AND THAT OPERATION IDENTIFICATION MARKINGS HAVE NOT IMPROVED THE RECOVERY AND RETURN OF STOLEN PROPERTY. ALSO INCLUDED ARE A DRAFT OF A REPORT ON PROPERTY-NUMBERING IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS USED IN OPERATION IDENTIFICATION PROJECTS, A NEWS RELEASE DESCRIBING THE INCORPORATION OF OPERATION IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONS IN KENTUCKY'S UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS, AND MODIFICATIONS IN THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER STOLEN ARTICLE FILE FORMAT TO INCLUDE OWNER-APPLIED IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS. (LKM)