Three case studies of use of product marking – first, in Somerset. The seaside town of Watchet saw the launch of a new Boat Watch scheme using SelectaDNA forensic marking.
The Boat Watch initiative, which has helped to reduce theft and criminal damage in many boating communities around the UK, was set up in Watchet in response to a spate of thefts from the marina. One recent incident involved the local Sea Scouts‚ base, which was broken into and £1,200 of gear, including two kayaks, was stolen.
The historic Watchet harbour dates back to Saxon times but has been refurbished with a marina containing 250 berths for both pleasure craft and charter fishing boats. The new scheme involves the Watchet Boat Owners Association, Watchet Harbour Marina, Avon & Somerset Police and West Somerset Council. It has received funding from the Safer Somerset West Partnership.
On the day of the launch at East Quay, boat owners had their boats and expensive marine equipment security-marked using SelectaDNA. It’s an invisible liquid containing a unique DNA code, virtually impossible to remove, the makers report. All items that were marked were then registered on an online database which can be accessed by the police. If an item is stolen, any traces of the liquid will show up under an ultra-violet light and, because of the unique forensic code, the property can then be traced back to its rightful owner.
Special Constable Simon Bale from Avon & Somerset Police said: "The launch went extremely well with a large number of boat owners attending with their property. Visiting boat owners from around the Bristol Channel were also present including many from South Wales. They were impressed with the scheme and how Watchet was dealing with marine-related theft, encouraging them to visit more often as a safe and secure place to berth their boats."
The Safer Somerset West Partnership also funded boat stickers, metal signs and hi-visibilty jackets. The signs have been placed around the marina to deter theft, while marina staff and local boat owners have been given the reflective jackets to wear, which bear the scheme’s logo, as a further deterrent to would-be thieves.
SC Bale added: "Boat owners who want to have their details and property recorded and marked can still do so by calling in at the Watchet Harbour Marina Office."
Operation Lockout, which includes SelectaDNA forensic marking, has, police report, reduced burglary and theft in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
Since the launch of the scheme three years ago, residential burglaries in Richmond have dropped from 1,550 in 2005-6 to just under 1,000 in 2008-9 – a drop of 33 per cent.
The project involves the distribution of a burglary pack containing a SelectaDNA kit, which is given to all victims of domestic burglary. The pack also includes crime prevention advice – to enable victims to increase their home security and prevent them from becoming repeat victims.
Funded by the Richmond Community Safety Partnership, the scheme was devised in 2006 as a crime prevention and detection programme designed to reassure the residents of Richmond that something proactive was being done to protect them. The Community Safety Partnership identified a need for a concerted effort to dissuade the large percentage of Œoff borough‚ criminals from committing crime in Richmond. This initially centred on crimes of residential burglary and theft from motor vehicles, the two main crime types committed by Œvisiting‚ offenders in 70 per cent of cases.
The Safer Neighbourhood Team at Richmond has been helping residents use the marking kits in their homes. Each kit contains a bottle of the SelectaDNA formula, which consists of an ultraviolet tracer and a unique DNA code. The clear liquid can be applied by residents to any household item to identify it as belonging to their property.
If an item such as a laptop, flatscreen TV or an iPod is stolen and later recovered by police, it can be scanned using a UV light and traced back to the rightful owner via the DNA marking. Add to this a high profile publicity campaign and the end result is ‘target hardened’‚ residential properties across Richmond upon Thames – making residents a less attractive target for burglary and theft.
Operation Lockout has been commended as good practice by the Metropolitan Police and has contributed towards making Richmond ‘London’s Safest Borough’. The initiative has already been adopted in areas of Holland, Belgium and Australia.
Borough Commander, Detective Chief Supt Rick Turner, added: "Operation Lockout has been particularly effective and makes a significant contribution to making Richmond upon Thames the safest borough in London. The key to that success has been the police working closely with the council and local people to communicate a clear message – burglars are not wanted in this part of London – and if you do burgle on our patch chances are that you will be caught and brought to justice."
Meanwhile, recognising an increase in the number of cycle thefts across London, the Operation Lockout team in conjunction with local police Safer Neighbourhood Teams have embarked on a series of free cycle security marking events employing Bikeregister.com, the secure online bike database which is owned and managed by Selectamark.
Once a bike has been security marked and registered on bikeregister.com, it becomes a less attractive target for thieves, and if stolen and recovered by the police, the bike can be identified and returned to its owner.
Community Safety Co-ordinator for Richmond upon Thames, Kevin Fletcher- Biles said: "Since the introduction of bikeregister to Richmond in September 2006 we have marked a total of 4,600 bikes and continue to mark about 100 bikes a month. From January to April this year, we have already marked 575 bikes and the initiative continues to work very well for us. The scheme is extremely successful in terms of recovering and returning bikes to their owners and also in securing prosecutions."
An Operation Lockout Roadshow has been touring public events such as local fairs, college freshers days and safer transport events across the borough offering free bike marking to residents and students. According to Mr Fletcher-Biles these events are very well-attended and drive home Richmond’s strong message that it will continue to be tough on theft and keep crime out of the borough.
And after a year-long police crackdown on metal theft from churches and other public buildings in the Waverley district of Surrey, there have been NO reported incidents.
A scheme using SelectaDNA Grease was introduced by Waverley Police last summer after a continued rise in the theft of materials such as York stone, copper piping, and lead from public buildings. In the six months from January to June 2008, there were more than 100 lead thefts reported across the borough.
At the launch of the scheme, Waverley Crime Reduction Advisor John Robini, said: "Thieves are taking lead of almost any quantity, from a small roof over a porch, to large church roofs. If this is not noticed straightaway, it becomes a major problem, particularly if it rains which then causes more damage."
When applied to a material such as lead, SelectaDNA Grease will remain on the surface and if touched, stays on the skin or clothing for weeks or even months. If either the lead, clothing or skin are examined within this time it is possible to say exactly which premises it came from as it contains both a UV tracer and a unique DNA code.
Mr Robini said: "Thieves should be aware that we will be checking to find these DNA traces, and it will greatly increase their chances of being caught. It also means that those buying these stolen materials could also be identified, and investigated for receiving stolen goods. If found guilty both offences carry a heavy prison sentence."
Now in 2009, Mr Robini says that the crackdown has had "a very positive effect". He said: "I am not aware of any reported metal thefts over the past year from public buildings including churches. This type of crime has decreased significantly which is excellent news for the local community. Thieves are definitely being deterred from large-scale metal theft in the Waverley area."
Theft of metal from church roofs is reportedly costing up to a £1 m a month and local police forces throughout the UK have been actively seeking an answer. Some are now using SelectaDNA Grease which can be painted onto outside metals such as copper, zinc and lead, all of which are vulnerable to theft. The grease can also be used to protect guttering, finials and metal windows.
In another example, SelectaDNA Grease has been used with success and without incident in the parish of Fareham in Hampshire since mid-2008.
Keith Burroughs, church warden at Fareham United Reform Church has been using the grease mainly as a deterrent. He said: "The church is a modern one with a prominent lead parapet which is topped with a metal cross. It is visible from the main road and there has been concern for some time among our parishioners that it could be targeted by metal thieves."
Mr Burroughs said: "We were looking for a product that would deter thieves in the first instance from even approaching our church premises. We have now painted the parapet roof with SelectaDNA Grease and we have also used it on metal windows and outside lanterns. We have erected warning signs in the car park and also put posters up on church noticeboards and doors."
Mr Burroughs added: "Metal theft from churches is expensive, destructive and inconvenient. We are doing everything we can to protect our church from this mindless form of theft and damage."
