Reuniting bikes with their rightful ownersPAGE 11

A rural forensic marking scheme is being launched in the Scottish Borders to cut crime on farms spread over a large geographical area covering approximately 5,000 square kilometres (2,000 square miles)

Around 200 farms will benefit from the new SelectaDNA marking scheme, which will see them target-hardened and transformed into hi-tech ‘forensic farms’. The scheme has been funded by Police Scotland and the Community Planning Partnership at Scottish Borders Council.

According to NFU Mutual’s annual rural crime survey, rural theft cost an estimated £37.8m in the UK during 2014 – down 15% on 2013’s high of £44.5m.

“These latest rural crime figures are still way too high and farms in the Borders are repeatedly targeted for acquisitive crime by opportunist thieves and organised gangs,” said PC Nick Walker, Crime Prevention Officer with Police Scotland. “Quad bike theft is a particular problem, along with theft of tractors, 4 x 4 vehicles and power tools, as well as livestock. The aims of this scheme are to help prevent and also help detect theft from farms throughout the area.”

SelectaDNA is a traceable forensic marking solution with a unique DNA code that can be easily applied to items of value such as farm equipment. In the event that any items are stolen and recovered by Police, they are immediately traceable back to the individual farm.

NFU Scotland is assisting Police Scotland with the selection of the ‘forensic farms’, choosing

vulnerable and previously targeted ones that would benefit from property marking and promoting the scheme to their members.

“This is a wide-reaching scheme covering farms right across the area from Coldstream to Cockburnspath, from Eyemouth through the central Borders across to Peebles and south through Hawick to Newcastleton. Police Scotland will be working in partnership with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service to deliver the kits and also offering farm fire safety and general crime prevention advice” PC Walker added.

“We are also using perimeter warning signage and window stickers to deter thieves by alerting them to the fact that valuable items on the farms have been marked. We are determined to target thieves wherever they operate to ensure that our rural communities are safe from those trying to profit from criminal gain.”

Selectamark celebrates 30 years in business, see pages 6 & 7

SelectamarkplcAdvanced Asset Protection

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Police Scotland tackles Rural Crime

30 Years Of Crime Prevention

Newsletter ISSUE 15

Operation Shield SuccessPAGE 04

Cable crime drops to zeroPAGE 10

Selectamark 30th Anniversary PAGE 06

From left to right: PC Nick Walker, Crime Prevention Officer, Police Scotland; Mr Gavin Millar, Local NFUS branch Chairman; PC Gary Chisholm, Community Beat Officer; Samantha Seeds, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Police Praise 70% Property Crime Drop

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS – US SUCCESS

Domestic burglary and theft dropped by 70%, and all crime by 21%, during a trial of the SelectaDNA forensic property marking system in Knoxville, United States.

The trial was the first time that SelectaDNA had been used in the US and more than 80 kits were distributed to residents of the Old North Knoxville community, along with deterrent warning signs.

Police believe the drop in property crimes, including home and car burglaries – from 10 incidents to three – can be credited largely to the warning signs placed throughout the community. A 21% reduction in all crime was also recorded in the area, police said.

Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch said the product “clearly” affected

crime rates in the test area. He added: “I think SelectaDNA will be a great tool that can be used by all members of the community.”

Just three months after it was installed at a convenience store in Knoxville, SelectaDNA Spray has been credited by local police with ending a run of robberies.Lee’s Food Mart was one of the first businesses in the US to have the SelectaDNA Intruder Spray installed in May. A Subway sandwich store in Knoxville was also fitted with the system.

The crime-fighting tool uses a synthetic DNA spray unique to each location where it is installed, tagging intruders as they enter or exit a business during a break-in or robbery.

The spray is detectable for several weeks — clinging to clothing and creases in the skin — but is visible under ultraviolet light. If the spray is detected on a suspect once in custody, a laboratory test can match the DNA spray to the specific store, tying the suspect to the crime scene.

Before Lee’s Food Mart introduced the system and its accompanying deterrent

warning signs, the store suffered five robberies in five months.

Lee Tramel, an assistant chief deputy with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, said: “It’s still early in the trial, but it’s clear that the technology is making a difference in seriously preventing crime.”

DNA Spray Halts Convenience Store Burglaries

Slovenia Rail Project

Outstanding Award

Deutsche Telekom Protects Phones

Netherlands Rail Crime Reduction

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German telecoms operator Deutsche Telekom has deployed SelectaDNA Gel to stop theft from coin-operated telephone boxes in Brandenburg and Sachsen. The gel, which contains a unique DNA code that can transfer to a thief’s hands and tools, can provide evidence that links suspects to a crime scene. Initial results of the pilot project which started in June 2015 and will cover more than 400 telephone units are encouraging. None of the units that have been prepared with the gel and deterrent warning stickers have been broken into.

Congratulations to our colleagues in Norway who have won Best New Security Product for SelectaDNA at the 2015 Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs).

The award, which was presented by OSPAs founder and leading criminologist Professor Martin Gill, follows the introduction of the first police crime reduction initiative in Norway using forensic marking technology.

Following a rise in burglaries earlier this year, 300 homes in Hasleåsen, Sandefjord, in Vestfold County, were selected for a pilot project using SelectaDNA. This is the first time Vestfold Police have partnered in a commercial enterprise to reduce crime.

Dutch rail operator ProRail has reported a further decrease in cable theft. In the first half of 2015, the number of incidents decreased by 57%. Except for a slight increase in 2014, copper theft has shown a steady decline and is now at the lowest level for six years. ProRail began using SelectaDNA in 2009 and credits the product as a contributing factor to decreasing metal theft on its network.

Forensic property marking is proving highly effective in Slovenia with the recent news of success in a project using SelectaDNA Trace on Slovenian Railways that has resulted in zero metal thefts since April 2014.

In another successful project, police in Ostrava have been using SelectaDNA to mark bikes since 2013. With police backing, SelectaDNA was recently demonstrated to Milan Chovanec, Czech Minister of the Interior. The Minister was duly impressed and has agreed to provide subsidies for other Czech cities to use SelectaDNA.

In order to prevent the theft of valuable medical items, SelectaDNA is also being used to mark equipment including wheelchairs at Ljubljana University Medical Centre, the largest hospital in Slovenia. It is also being used to mark items of value at several local museums.

In the municipality of Idrija, invisible SelectaDNA Trace has been sprayed on bronze statues in the town centre to deter metal theft.

The lowest figures for domestic burglary in Cheshire in 25 years have been recorded since the launch of Cheshire Constabulary’s Operation Shield using SelectaDNA

Operation Shield is a major anti-burglary operation protecting property and businesses across the county with DNA forensic marking. Since the campaign started in March, domestic burglaries fell by an impressive 41% in the space of just seven weeks, compared to 2010-2014 figures.

James Brown, MD of Selectamark, said: “We are delighted that SelectaDNA has helped make Operation Shield a success in such a short space of time and has achieved a 25 year low for domestic burglaries.

“ A 41% reduction in burglary in just seven weeks is a fantastic result and is reward for all the hard work that officers from Cheshire Police have been putting in to implement the scheme.”

He continued: “It also shows how effective the ‘DNA fear factor’ is. Criminals know about SelectaDNA and fear that they will get caught by police if they are in possession of marked goods. These excellent results show that burglars are aware that the system is in place and are staying away from homes that are using SelectaDNA to protect valuable goods.”

But it is not just homeowners who are being protected by DNA marking under Operation Shield. Cheshire Police have also been provided with kits for businesses and retailers which use SelectaDNA Spray to protect their premises from robbery.

The spray is activated when an intruder breaks into premises and emits a clear DNA-coded mist which cannot be rubbed off and sits on skin and clothing for weeks.

Every person arrested in Cheshire is being screened by police under a special ultra violet light in custody. If they have committed a crime in an Operation Shield area, they will be marked, and the unique DNA will link them directly to the individual crime scene. More than 3,000 suspects have been screened for SelectaDNA so far.

DI Peter Merrill, who is project lead on Operation Shield, said:

“ The operation commenced on the 3rd of March 2015 and I have no doubt, activity undertaken distributing the kits, supported by a carefully planned communication strategy, significantly contributed to Cheshire recording the lowest number of burglaries for the month of March in 25 years.”

BUS operator National Express West Midlands will be installing SelectaDNA Spray systems on 20 of their new luxury Platinum fleet before the end of the year to offer added security for drivers and passengers. More details on this story in the next Newsletter.

Driving Down Crime

Shield Success: Lowest Domestic Burglary Figures in 25 Years

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LATEST NEWS

We are delighted to announce that our Managing Director James Brown has been elected chairman of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Asset and Property Marking (APM) section.

Following its Annual General Meeting, which took place on Wednesday, 15th July, the BSIA elected new chairmen and vice chairmen to serve its sections of membership.

The chance to serve as APM section chairman has come at an opportune time for James, as Selectamark celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

“I am very much looking forward to engaging with fellow members at our quarterly meetings and to sharing best practice and exploring new possibilities for the Asset and Property Marking section,” said James Brown.

Millie Quickenden, Marketing Manager at Selectamark, said:

“Our new site will guide customers to our individual brands via one main master page. This will bring a more cohesive feel to our expanding product line - bringing SelectaDNA, Selectamark, SelectaLabel, ChelseaClip and BikeRegister all under one virtual roof for the first time.”

Visit www.selectamark.co.uk to see our new website.

New Look PackagingNew Website

BSIA Property Marking Section Chair

The packaging for our SelectaDNA property marking kits has been redesigned in a new white and orange colourway to tie in more closely with our growing brand identity.

Driving Down Crime

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OUR RANGE OF PROPERTY MARKING KITS

ARE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE ONLINE NOW!

SelectamarkplcAdvanced Asset Protection

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The early years“We started to work with local police forces who were trying to reduce household burglaries and cycle thefts,” said Jim. “Selectamark’s property marking system formed a key element of crime prevention campaigns, and it wasn’t long before the deterrent value of householders marking their household goods and cycles was being reflected in falling crime statistics.”

The company’s first ever police property marking campaign launched in 1995 in Darlington and resulted

in an impressive 98% reduction in burglaries. As the system became better known, Selectamark expanded into providing property marking solutions for companies needing to identify and track their equipment and other assets for audit purposes, as well as to prevent losses and theft.

“In those early days we didn’t know how things would progress,” says Jim. “We just wanted to help the police do their job and got stuck in. It was sometimes quite difficult to persuade some of the senior police officers to back the idea of property marking, but we continued

to work closely with Crime Prevention Officers who had faith in the concept.

“We had a lot of early morning starts and late night finishes helping them with their crime prevention campaigns, and, after a while, it started to become pretty clear that the crime statistics were, at long last, starting to fall. It was not just the fact that property marked with the owner’s details is a deterrent for burglars – it makes the job of the police easier when a suspect is arrested with property that is easily traceable to its rightful owner.”

When an enthusiastic businessman called Jim Brown started a new property marking company in 1985, little did he imagine that 30 years later that same company would be the global leader in forensic marking solutions, with big name clients including McDonalds, Network Rail, Balfour Beatty and Shell.

Selectamark is proud to be celebrating its 30th anniversary

From left to right: Jason Brown (Commercial Director), Jim Brown (Chairman), James Brown (Managing Director)

COMPANY NEWS

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Global ReachIn helping homeowners, businesses, local government, schools, shops and hospitals protect their property, Selectamark has marked approximately 75 million valuable items worldwide over the last 30 years.

Headquartered in Kent and with a staff of more than 20, it serves its customers both directly and through a wide network of nearly 40 distributors worldwide.

Selectamark products have Secured by Design status and the company operates to the highest database standards, having achieved LPS1224 Issue 3 (the latest version of this standard) and most recently ISO27001, which is an international standard covering the safe and secure management of information.

Product lineThe company’s products are patented and distributed to every Continent.Selectamark, the company’s original permanent marking system, was launched in the early 1990s and is still a popular choice as a visible theft deterrent today, often being used in conjunction with tamper proof labels. Also available is an Asset ID system and a wide range of asset labels.

The company’s SelectaDNA forensic marking product was launched in 2004 and is the first true DNA security system in the property marking field.

The product range has been extended to include a Grease and Trace application to prevent and deter metal theft of items such as lead roofs, copper piping and manhole covers, and a Gel for the protection of indoor materials. SelectaDNA is also available in Spray format to deter retail burglary and smash and grab raids.

Other security products from Selectamark include the Chelsea Clip, which was launched back in the 1980s, and is still being used to deter bag theft from bars, restaurants and hotels all over the UK.

Selectamark also owns and maintains BikeRegister, the National Cycle Database (www.bikeregister.com). Over 400,000 bikes are registered on the system and it is used by every UK police force to help identify and reunite stolen bikes with their owners. A selection of bike marking products are available to purchase online.

Looking forward “Our business has grown over the last 30 years because we pride ourselves on top quality products, the best customer service and exceptional value,” said MD James Brown.

“ We continue to research new technologies and have expanded our range significantly.

Our customers appreciate the fact that our products come at a one-off price, with no annual renewal fees.

As we celebrate this huge milestone, I would like to take a moment to thank all of our staff, distributors and customers who have helped Selectamark rise from humble beginnings to become the global leader in forensic marking.

We couldn’t have made it this far without you – here’s to the next 30 years!”

SelectamarkplcAdvanced Asset Protection

Antiques Roadshow Appearance

Old met new as the BBC Antiques Roadshow filmed an episode at the historic Royal William Yard in Plymouth, while Devon & Cornwall Police offered the latest SelectaDNA products to visitors to safeguard family heirlooms.

As members of the public queued up with their prized possessions to see the team of valuation experts including Eric Knowles (pictured far right), Devon & Cornwall Police were on hand to demonstrate forensic marking product SelectaDNA which can be used to protect antiques from theft.

A BBC local radio reporter also interviewed one of the officers about the effectiveness of SelectaDNA, which has been proven to reduce burglary rates by up to 83%.

Sign Tells Metal Thieves Where To Go

An historic fingerpost has been lovingly restored and protected with SelectaDNA to ensure its future.

The sign, which has a wooden post, three metal ‘fingers’ and 160 cast alloy letters and numbers, is situated in the Dorset area and had been continually vandalised and targeted for metal theft over a 10-year period.

After raising money from various community sources, local resident Peter Jones took on the restoration of the sign as a personal project.

“When I found out about SelectaDNA Grease which transfers onto the hands and clothing of vandals if they attempt to remove the post or its fingers, I thought that was the perfect answer. The police are able to read the DNA code in the grease under UV light and place the vandal at the scene of the crime.”

Historic Wall Protected From Stone Theft

A ancient wall in Kent is being protected by SelectaDNA ahead of plans to rebuild it by the local parish council.

The wall is made from Kentish Ragstones and was originally built in 1780 with money donated by Lord Jeffery Amherst, a local benefactor.

Several valuable stones had already been stolen from the wall, but the remaining ones have now been sprayed with SelectaDNA Trace to protect them from further theft.

Trace is an aerosol that can invisibly mark stonework with thousands of unique microdots that are traceable back to the original site. If thieves are caught in possession of stones that have been marked, police can use a scanner to prove where they have been taken from.

Councillor Clive Himsworth said: “We are hoping that the use of SelectaDNA will deter thieves from stealing any more stones and have erected deterrent warning signage to highlight the fact that the wall is well guarded and should be left alone.”

HERITAGE ROUNDUP

Tackling Rural Crime

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NEW Rural Property Marking kit available to purchase today at www.selectadna.co.uk

CASE STUDY

Operation Steel Gets Tough On Wrexham Streets

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For more information visit www.selectadna.co.uk/news

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. As part of the operation, every house 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 National Cycle Database, which is owned and maintained by Selectamark.

Operation Steel 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.”

LATEST NEWS

There have been no live cable thefts for nearly two years on the High Speed 1 (HS1) rail route since SelectaDNA Trace has been used to protect the entire line.HS1, officially known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, runs for 108 kilometres (67 miles) between London St Pancras and the UK end of the Channel Tunnel, through Kent.

Security solutions group Land Sheriffs started to mark the route with SelectaDNA Trace in October 2013. Trace is a specially-formulated spray,

which contains UV markers and DNA coded metal particles that can be used to identify the cable as belonging to a particular rail operator.

Copper cable, rail track and signal boxes have been marked along the length of the line and deterrent warning signs have been erected on perimeter fencing.

Chris Gough at Land Sheriffs said: “There have been no live cable thefts since the end of 2013 which has been as a direct result of using SelectaDNA. Having visible SelectaDNA signage in place has also acted as a deterrent and helped us achieve the low amount of cable crime on the HS1 route.”

Meanwhile, our DNA Superdog Jazz, who is the first detection dog in the world to be trained to sniff out forensic markings on stolen metal, has also played a part in reducing metal theft.

She was deployed in 2014 as part of The Met Police’s Operation Ferrous, a week-long campaign which resulted in more

than 10 arrests, a scrapyard closure and the recovery of £4,600 of Thames Water cable and 50kg of BT cable.

Jazz has been used more recently as part of Cheshire Police’s highly successful Operation Shield campaign, where she was used to search Cash Converters stores for stolen goods.

Our forensic marking products can link criminals to their crimes and be admissible as evidence in court.

Selectamark recently provided a witness statement in the prosecution of a gang of drug smugglers who were on trial for smuggling tens of millions of pounds worth of Class A drugs into the UK.

The nine men, who were importing the drugs from Germany to the UK via a parcel delivery service, were subsequently found guilty and sentenced to 154 years between them.

Officers from Kent Police and the National Crime Agency worked together to identify the organised gang. The operation was uncovered when police tracked one of the packages carrying drugs to an industrial unit in Berkshire, where one of the gang members was waiting to receive it.

The package had previously been marked by police with invisible

SelectaDNA Gel. The Gel contains a fluorescent UV marker which transfers onto the hands and clothing of criminals without them realising.

When an offender is scanned under UV light in custody, the gel glows blue, proving their involvement in handling the goods. This information was confirmed in the witness statement issued by Selectamark to the court.

Assisting With Organised Crime

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Cable Crime Drops To Zero

BikeRegister is used by every UK police force to help them reunite some of the thousands of lost or stolen bikes they recover every year to their legal owners.

Proving that the system works, even many years later, one man has just been reunited with his bike 12 years after it was stolen thanks to an eagle-eyed officer from the Met Police in Hackney, who arrested a man in possession of a suspected stolen bike.

The bike was examined and found to have BikeRegister stickers on it. This allowed the officer to trace and contact the true owner, who was surprised

– but delighted – to get his bike back after such a long time!

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BikeRegister Launches First Ever Cycle Crime Forum

Reunited after 12 years!

The inaugural Steering Clear of Cycle Crime conference, hosted by BikeRegister, the national cycle database (which is owned by Selectamark), took place in Birmingham on Thursday, 9th July and was a great success.The conference was run in partnership with the British Transport Police and officers from over 30 police forces were in attendance, along with representatives from local councils, Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships and cycling organisations.

The programme featured latest bike crime statistics and details on the cost of cycle crime to police and councils. Delegates also found out more about the role that registration and marking of bikes has played in lowering bike theft.

South Yorkshire Schools Protect Valuable Property

Selectamark Security Systems plc, 1 Locks Court, 429 Crofton Road, Locksbottom, Kent, BR6 8NL. Telephone: +44 (0)1689 860757

For further press information and images contact: Angela Singleton, Press Officer for Selectamark. Telephone: +44 (0)7905 623 819 Email: angela.singleton@selectamark.co.uk

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For more information visit

www.selectamark.co.uk or contact +44 (0)1689 860757

Following a competitive tender process, SelectaDNA was chosen to protect 86 schools across Barnsley.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council launched the product at a special event attended by representatives from 22 schools across the borough and council cultural sites.

Everyone who attended the event received a SelectaDNA kit containing a bottle of the DNA property marking solution, tamper resistant warning labels, window stickers, a UV key ring light and warning signs.

SelectaDNA can mark and identify valuable items and in the event of theft assist police in tracing and returning property to its owner.

The product also deters theft as marked items have almost no resale value and instantly links the criminal to the crime.

The invisible product can be applied to any valuable item likely to be targeted by thieves - such as laptops, scanners, TVs, computers and whiteboards.

Councillor Alan Gardiner, cabinet spokesperson for Corporate Services, said: “We take the protection of our assets very seriously and our new partnership with Selectamark demonstrates this. The launch event was a great success and very well attended by representatives from council maintained schools that will now be able to protect their valuable assets and deter potential theft.”

Permanent Visible Marking

Selectamark Secure Asset Register & BikeRegister

Certi�ed to LPS1224: Issue 3Certi�cate number 497b/01 to 02

Selectamark and SupermarkOvert Marking Systems

Certi�ed to LPS 1225: Issue 3Certi�cate number 497a/01 to 07

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