A CRACKDOWN on robbery and burglary using SelectaDNA property marking as one of the key components is being launched across 17 neighbourhoods in Slough.
The Thames Valley Police initiative known as Operation Corona will run from 22nd July to 7th September and is intended to tackle any increases in serious acquisitive crime over the summer holiday period.
The operation will include the use of free crime prevention surveys and the distribution of SelectaDNA forensic property marking kits, which are designed to work as a deterrent and catch criminals.
Already in use by many police forces across the country, officers and police staff from Slough have recently been trained to use the forensic property marking kits and will go door-to-door to visit those who want their valuables marked with forensic fluid.
The kits contain a uniquely coded non-toxic liquid which can be easily painted on to items of value such as laptops, televisions, games consoles and jewellery. The liquid is clear but shows up under UV light. If a marked item is stolen and recovered by police it can be traced back to the owner via its ‘DNA’ code. Marked properties will be registered onto a secure national database.
Detective Inspector Andy Shearwood, the officer leading Operation Corona, said: "Slough continues to experience healthy reductions in key crime categories and we would like to see this continue over the summer holiday period.
"Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in the number of burglaries reported to us between April and July 3rd, compared to the same period last year (207 to 239). However, we are addressing this increase by a number of ways which includes this initiative."
DI Shearwood is confident that forensic marking will help police achieve their aim of crime reduction this summer. In some areas of the UK where SelectaDNA has been used in conjunction with deterrent warning stickers (supplied with each kit), burglary has been reduced by up to 85%.
He said: “Not only does SelectaDNA give us a technological advantage over burglars and other criminals and helps us to convict them, it is also hugely reassuring to residents, as warning stickers on home windows are a huge deterrent to criminals.”
DI Shearwood added: “We want to ensure that homeowners looking to get away over the summer holiday period leave their property and valuables safe and secure. We would also like to reduce any opportunity of children becoming victims of crime over the summer holidays, again by issuing them with simple crime prevention steps. Operation Corona is designed to do all this and much more.”
For further information and images contact: Jodie Fisher, Marketing Executive for Selectamark.
Phone: +44(0)1689 487829
Email: jodie.fisher@selectamark.co.uk
Twitter: @selectadna
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