Cheshire Police’s anti-burglary initiative using SelectaDNA forensic marking has been extended to the market town of Frodsham after success in other areas of the county which has seen burglary drop by up to 83 per cent. Operation Shield marks valuables with a DNA liquid meaning stolen items can be traced back to each home or business.
Frodsham PCSO Neil Flanagan said: “The main purpose of Operation Shield is as a deterrent. We want to send out a message to would be burglars Frodsham is not a place to target. This type of crime isn’t a big problem in the town, but we want to make sure it stays this way because of the effect it can have even if nothing is actually stolen. I think it’s important people know Cheshire Police are still here for them and engaging with them.”
Marking kits are being offered to each property with funding for the scheme coming from Frodsham Town Council, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire West and Chester Council. Each DNA code is registered solely to one address, and a police database. Hence if anything is stolen from a home, garage or shed it can be quickly traced back to its rightful owners. As with other deployments of the product, marked and registered properties can also display window stickers to deter burglars by showing they are protected.
PCSO Flanagan said: “So far we’ve visited 200 homes and we’ve hardly had anyone refuse a kit. We know in some areas of Cheshire West, where it is already introduced, there has been a drop in burglaries by as much as 83pc.”
