A crime-fighting tool that helps protect homes from burglaries is being rolled out in Cheshire.
The SelectaDNA forensic coding solution is placed inside the home on items such as jewellery, laptops and TVs.
Cheshire Constabulary has invested more than £170,000 into the kits that will be made available to residents and fitted into their homes.
The kits will also act as a deterrent to burglars due to their invisibility when marking skin and clothing once the item is touched.
When the burglar is caught officers will use specialist lighting to identify if the offender has been marked by the colourless liquid.
The liquid comes with a DNA code that can link to a specific crime that has been reported.
The code can also be used to identify where property has been stolen from meaning items can be returned to their owners.
Officers from nine of the local policing units will distribute the kits by selecting targeted streets and engaging with residents.
Residents who are provided with a kit will also receive a sticker that can be displayed in their windows.
In the coming weeks street signs informing of the crime fighting tool will be displayed in residential areas across the county.
The rollout of the kits are part of the force's wider Operation Shield initiative.
The operation aims to inform and educate residents on crime prevention advice and deter offenders from committing burglary or serious and acquisitive crime.
Cheshire Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: "We know that burglary is a distressing crime leaving people feeling violated in their own home.
"Therefore we want to do all we can to ensure people feel safe and that offenders are deterred from committing burglary and serious and acquisitive crime in our county.
"This unique tool is one way of doing both.
"Offenders who set out to commit these crimes will run the risk of being marked with the liquid in any of the homes they choose to target. They won't know the liquid is on them and they will find it incredibly difficult to remove, which makes it easier for officers to detect them.
"Over the coming weeks this crime-fighting tool and the wider Operation Shield initiative will become more accessible and visible in communities across the county.
"We hope it acts as a deterrent by creating a hostile environment for offenders choosing to commit crime in Cheshire."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
They were designed to mark high value items.
Seems very strange to now suggest that a spray can be used around the house and on clothing, surely the wearer of the clothes would be the first to be contaminated .
I think the reference to clothing was intending to mean that clothing and skin coming into contact with a marked item would indeed be contaminated and therefore incriminating.
If I’ve read it correctly.., maybe someone can confirm this?
In any case new or not, I’d say it’s surely worth getting hold of if you have any easily stolen items.
As the Community Safety Coordinator for five wards including the Withington ward (mainly student areas) which initially was the highest burglary rate in Europe just before I started. Luckily for me withing three months a briliant and new broom came in (no suprise as to why) but quickly the new innovative Chief Superintendent took over and due to these extremely high numbers, and also as I was a designated council safety person designated to helping reduce crime, I was invited to help set up and run 'Operation Flood'.
Within six months we had reduced Domestic Burglary by 46% and burglars were being caught and handed stiff sentences. We did this by some of the following:
a) Targetting prolific burglars houses and known associates houses and cars in transit.
b) Pinch points for roads used in getaways (e.g stopping known vehicles) at peak times.
c) Covert operations at peak times for high risk areas for repeat crimes on houses.
d) Blocking exits routes for burglars (Alley-gating terraced houses etc...)
e) Crime Prevention advice and talks to residents (local groups) and a lot of students.
f) A full time police analyst who collated all the data for targeting offenders.
g) A laptop tracker device one of the first to be used across the UK at the time.
Operation Flood went on to become a Home office flagship project which we all won national awards and police commendations for in our relatively small team.
Last but not least, Greater Manchester Police stopped Smartwater as using it as it was not cost effective and was found to be a complete and utter waste of police time and money!