SelectaDNA Spreads Throughout Norfolk

HOMES in three very different areas of Norfolk are being protected with forensic property marking product SelectaDNA.

The rural neigbourhood of Dersingham & Gayton, which includes the royal Sandringham estate, has been affected by a number of residential burglaries over the past 18 months and local police were looking for a solution to deter theft.

The more residential area of Woottons & Castle Rising, which borders Kings Lynn, and the coastal region of Hunstanton and Burnham have also been affected by dwelling burglary and are included in the Home Office-backed Burglary Reduction Initiative. The scheme covering all three areas is being led by Sgt Andrew Crown.

Sgt Crown said: “Norfolk has a relatively low crime rate and was referred to in the Eastern Daily Press as being “the safest county in the country”. Our particular Neighbourhoods in the west of the county experience very few dwelling burglaries and therefore areas that have been affected in the last 18 months were easy to identify.”

He continued: “Between January 2008 and May 2009 there were a total of 20 reports of dwelling burglary in 23 villages within the Dersingham & Gayton Neighbourhood. This figure is still too high and we believed that this figure could be reduced further, hence the initiative.”

As part of Phase One of the scheme, Community Support Officers visited local residents to show them how to mark any valuable household items such as jewellery, TVs, computers and other electronic equipment. Owners of farm properties in Dersingham were shown how to mark agricultural equipment which can be particularly vulnerable when left in outbuildings.
 
PCSO Gareth Cranstoun, from Dersingham & Gayton police, who is part of the team helping to distribute the SelectaDNA kits, said: “Residents have been very keen to take part in the scheme and they are pleased with the product and the concept behind it."
 
The kits contain 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 it is stolen and later recovered by police, the item can be scanned by police and traced back to the rightful owner via the DNA marking.
 
PCSO Cranstoun continued: "Although the product is easy to use, it is important that residents understand what they are doing when they use forensic marking so that it is done correctly. Our officers have been helping them with any queries they may have.”
 
Residents were also encouraged to establish a Home Watch scheme in their local area and were offered support whilst setting these up.
 
PCSO Cranstoun continued: “Residents also need to display the bright orange tamper-proof deterrent stickers supplied with the kit on the windows of their property to indicate to would-be thieves that their homes are protected. This in itself is a massive deterrent, because it will make burglars think twice before entering the property.”

According to Sgt Crown the scheme has been going well. He said: “We are currently working on ‘Phase Two’ which entails visiting all addresses in areas that appear to be more vulnerable than others i.e. where repeat offences had occurred and have been identified as ‘hot spots’. When these small pockets of houses have been visited and SelectaDNA kits have been used we have plans in place to erect SelectaDNA signage at the entrances to these areas to warn off potential criminals and thus reduce burglary even further.”