Witney News - Property marking with a difference

Property marking with a difference

A DNA marking system that helps to deter distraction burglars is being offered to residents by the West Oxfordshire Community Safety Partnership.

The Selecta DNA kits, manufactured by Selectamark Security Systems, can be used to mark items from war medals, jewellery and pictures to passports and birth certificates. Unique microdot codes, which can only be viewed with an ultra-violet lamp once dry, are pasted onto the item. The code of numbers and letters can then be detected and cross-checked on a database held by the police if the items are found after being stolen. The microdots can only be removed by severely damaging or destroying the item but if the microdots should be destroyed the property’s owner can still be traced as the solution has a unique synthetic DNA strand.

Bill Butcher, Crime Reduction Adviser said: “Some kits have already been provided free to residents that we have identified as the most vulnerable in the district, but the Community Safety Partnership is now making them available to anyone. They come with full instructions and are very easy to use. They usually sell for £49 each but we are selling them for £15.”

Window stickers, similar to the Neighbourhood Watch stickers, are provided to display and deter potential burglars.