SelectaDNA Technology Launches In New Zealand

'AN INTERNATIONAL crime fighting initiative using SelectaDNA technology is launching today in Auckland, New Zealand.'

The scheme will assist Police, local government and community groups to help protect homeowners and commercial premises, such as the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ), against theft and burglary.

Crime statistics for the last three years show burglary and theft rates to be relatively steady across New Zealand, with the Counties Manukau district having the country’s second highest burglary rate.

Counties Manukau Police is now participating in a six-month trial of SelectaDNA, a unique synthetic DNA marker used to invisibly mark household valuables, initially in a pilot trial in the Randwick Park area.

SelectaDNA NZ Ltd, with the co-operation of Counties Manukau Police, Manukau City Council and Victim Support, will be distributing 1,000 domestic kits to Randwick Park households to trial the effectiveness of the new anti-burglary and robbery technology, which has proved a major success in the UK and the Netherlands.

Retail outlets and schools in the area have also been supplied with kits to mark valuables and other property to combat theft and vandalism.

SelectaDNA is also being supplied as a hydra spray for commercial businesses. The Bank of New Zealand has installed the technology in its Counties Manukau stores and will be introducing hydra spray units in all of its branches nationwide.

The spray can be located at the entrance of a shop or bank, and activated to spray an offender on leaving the premises. As with the domestic solution, it will glow bright blue under UV light.

The District Commander for Counties Manukau Police, said: “The NZ police supports all initiatives, that actively prevent crime. We are all aware burglary is a crime that affects a huge number of New Zealanders every year. It’s very destructive for individuals and has an impact on the community.”

The scheme aims to replicate the numerous police-backed trials using the SelectaDNA strategy in the UK and the Netherlands which have resulted in significant crime reductions.

Word of mouth among the criminal fraternity about the effectiveness of the technology has proven to be a major deterrent, with a recent pilot in East Dulwich, south London, reporting a 55% reduction in burglaries in four months after SelectaDNA was deployed in 1,000 homes.

In the Netherlands, following the implementation of SelectaDNA in 2,500 homes in Amersfoort, a high crime area, the incidence of burglaries fell by 40% in a four-month period.

SelectaDNA works by invisibly marking property or commercial premises with a unique synthetic profile. The solution glows bright blue under UV light. It stays on valuables indefinitely, on offenders’ skin for between one to two weeks and on clothes for up to six months.

Every bottle is registered in the SelectaDNA database which will be referred to by police to aid investigations and solve crimes. If an object or a person is marked with SelectaDNA the solution will glow bright blue when placed under UV light.

Detecting a sample the size of a pinhead is enough to help police place a person at a crime or, in the case of stolen goods, be able to return them to the rightful owner.

David Morrissey, Director SelectaDNA NZ Ltd, said: “The SelectaDNA strategy is a proven, cost effective way to make a real impact on crime statistics in New Zealand as it has in the UK and the Netherlands”.