Essex homes forensically marked with SelectaDNA to protect against burglary

(08/06/2009)

Ov 5,000 homes in the Basildon and Thurrock district of Essex are being forensically marked with SelectaDNA to protect against burglary.

Essex Police, the Home Office and the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership have joined forces to address the small but significant problem of burglary in areas within Basildon and Thurrock. The partnerships will be running a pilot scheme in designated streets that will involve using DNA coding on valuable property.

Fully trained officers will visit homes and show residents how to use SelectaDNA, a clear liquid solution which can can be applied to valuable items of property such as flatscreen TVs, MP3 players, laptops, iPods, and jewellery.

SelectaDNA is a new forensic technology which links criminals to crime scenes and provides an unbreakable chain of evidence in a court of law. The liquid is specifically DNA-coded to each residential address and also contains thousands of unique microdots, allowing the Police two ways to identify marked items.

If marked items are stolen and later found they can be linked directly with the crime scene, not only allowing the property to be returned to its owner, but also increasing the chance of conviction.

The Basildon and Thurrock scheme involves the use of window stickers and signs that residents can display to warn potential thieves that their homes are secured with SelectaDNA. Street signs are also being erected on lamp posts in the area to inform residents and visitors that the DNA technology is being used.

Local officers will not only show residents how to use SelectaDNA, but will take the opportunity to run security checks on the homes they visit and provide burglary reduction advice.

Chief Supt Maurice Mason, divisional commander for South Western division of Essex Police said: “Although the problem of burglary remains small, even one incident is one too many and we want to put a stop to it. By providing this advanced crime reduction system to designated areas in Basildon and Thurrock and providing burglary reduction advice to residents, we are certain this will deter thieves and reduce burglary in the area.”

He concluded: “Burglaries can have a lasting impact on people's lives, and I personally assure the public that my team and I remain dedicated to combating this. Basildon and Thurrock are safe areas and this measure is another tool for us to use to make sure it stays that way.”

Related topics:  Crime and Fraud Prevention   Intrusion detection 

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