Operation Kapel Results in 100% Reduction in Housebreakings

Operation Kapel, focused on housebreaking, has seen rates of the crime fall by nearly 100%. The crime, previously dubbed an ‘infectious’ problem by a senior officer, is the most prominent in Govanhill.

Officers on Glasgow's South Side carried out the operation over several weeks and saw them target more than 200 homes in certain streets in the area. Residents were given SelectaDNA kits that mark their property with a unique code to protect them from theft and since the operation started, there have been no break-ins.

Inspector John Menzies who, with Sergeant Cennydd Smith, led the operation, said: "The Operation Kapel housebreaking prevention campaign is still in the early stages but through the collaboration between police, the Govanhill Housing Association team and the local community, we have seen a significant and sustained decrease in housebreaking throughout the area.

"The community has provided positive feedback throughout the campaign and are helping deter criminals from committing crime.  As Operation Kapel develops I would encourage the local community to continue to report crime and those responsible for committing it."

Operation Kapel also saw officers visit licensed premises, pawnshops and second-hand dealers to explain where SelectaDNA will be used. The product can be used to mark property, such as tablets, mobile phones or laptops, and then the number is recorded in a database so the items can be easily traced back to their owner. The glue shows up under fluorescent light and a microscope is used to see the numbers on the microdots.

Police have recovered stolen property that came to light during the operation, used information from the public to carry out drugs raids and confiscated counterfeit cigarettes from locals’ shops.

Inspector Menzies said: "Govanhill has got issues in relation to housebreaking and acquisitive crime and has done for a few years. We try as much as we can to impact on that but we do have some difficulties in relation to it. SelectaDNA has been used down south and has seen housebreaking reduced significantly so we know it is effective."

Working in four streets in the centre of Govanhill, officers made sure every property was visited by working in shifts. The community has speakers of 63 different languages, so police asked Govanhill Housing Association for support with translators.

Sergeant Smith of Gorbals Police Office is responsible for the SelectaDNA operation, which is being part-funded by cash from the Southside Central Area Partnership. Hundreds of kits were handed out in Govanhill with one small bottle able to mark 50 items. The kits also come with tamper-resistant stickers that can be attached to property. These will alert a pawnbroker or second-hand buyer that the item was marked.

Sgt Smith added: "During the operation we'll go into the house, explain the product, mark up the property and we'll register it for the householder as well. In the past there's been problems where you give the folk the kit but they don't register it, so we'll do that for them and that's part of the engagement project, it will help us in speaking to people, learning things."

A second phase of Operation Kapal will be used to target known criminals in the area. Inspector Menzies said: "We will also make our criminals aware we are doing this. We plan to visit some of our active criminals and tell them we are doing this and tell them that if they commit criminality they will be caught."

Holyrood Secondary School's campus police officers will also be giving sessions to pupils about SelectaDNA so they can feed this back to their parents. Officers on patrol will be joined by youth diversionary officers to speak to young people congregating in the community and signpost them to other activities and clubs.

Throughout the operation the mobile police unit will be highly visible for locals to report any issues and there will be drop-in sessions at community hubs such as Govanhill Library and local cafes.

Inspector Menzies said: "We are trying to build a culture and a community where there's not a fear of crime, it's more that the criminals have a fear of committing crime.”