HOUSEHOLDERS in parts of Wrexham, North Wales, are working with police on an operation that uses SelectaDNA as an integral part of cutting burglary and vehicle crime in hotspot residential areas.
Operation Steel is focusing on crime reduction in over 100 homes in Foxwood Drive in Wrexham and Oak Alyn Court in Cefn Y Bedd. Following enthusiastic community meetings in both areas the scheme has been launched and will include a police visit to homes with officers offering a security site survey and advice.
As part of Operation Steel, every house in the selected streets has been issued with a SelectaDNA property marking kit which can mark household valuables, allowing them to be traceable back to the owner in the event they are stolen.
Property marking is also a known deterrent, with many burglars passing by properties that display warning stickers that alert them to the fact that property is marked. SelectaDNA street signs have been erected to denote the protected areas.
All homes have joined up to a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and the OWL Online Watch. To reduce vehicle crime, householders have joined the Vehicle 25 scheme and residents have had their bikes marked and registered to BikeRegister, the UK’s national cycle database, which is owned and run by Selectamark.
Operation Steel, which sees communities and the police working together, will be monitored regularly, according to PC Hazel Goss MBE, Designing Out Crime Officer, North Wales Police.
“I am excited about these new schemes as they have never been done in North Wales on such a large scale before. It has involved a lot of hard work and hopefully it will reduce crime in these areas,” said PC Goss.
She added: “Marking property in this way reduces the chances of it being stolen. It is very hard to get rid of because it is traceable. Handlers of stolen property will not touch it, leaving thieves with the stolen property and increasing their chances of being caught.”
Sgt Sue Richards, Eastern Community Safety, North Wales Police, said: “We will be informing burglars about this scheme when they enter custody and while in prison.
“Every year we recover items which we struggle to re-unite with their owners simply because we have no way of knowing who owns them. With this system property can be traced back to the owner quickly and easily, even if it is recovered from the other end of the country.
“Operation Steel will assist the people of North Wales to deter criminals and make their homes safer.”
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