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Standing Out Against Crime PAGE 10

Newsletter ISSUE 22

Surrey’s Spearhead ContinuesPAGE 2

InternationalNews PAGE 6

Liverpool Fans Won’t Walk Alone PAGE 5

Burglars Beware: DNA ‘Track n Trace’ Hits Birmingham Streets

Officers are busy distributing SelectaDNA forensic marking kits to residents in key areas including Solihull, East Birmingham and West Birmingham in a bid to deter thieves and prevent burglaries.

Residents of 35 streets have received home coding kits that contain a DNA solution with a unique profile that can be applied to their valuables. This will help police to recover any stolen items and link offenders to any break-ins.

The ‘Track n Trace’ operation, aimed at making communities safer, is also using new, eye-catching deterrents in the form of large yellow pavement stamps that warn: ‘Burglars Beware. Property on this street is DNA marked’.

Chief Inspector Anthony Bennett, who is leading the Track n Trace scheme, said:

“Our officers will knock on doors on every house in the chosen streets, offer residents advice to keep homes and valuables safe, and provide a forensic property marking kit. Trials have proven that using forensic marking, together with the warning signs, can have a significant impact on burglary rates – in fact, it can reduce the chance of being targeted by 85 per cent.”

He added: “We’re always striving to come up with innovative ways to help protect people against being victim of a break-in.”

West Midlands Police Crime Prevention Manager, Mark Silvester, described the SelectaDNA kit as a ‘genuine deterrent’ to criminals. He added: “Just one small dot of the DNA solution on a phone or tablet is all that’s needed; it’s an invisible, indelible mark and lasts for

at least five years outdoors but much longer on items kept inside.

It’s visible under a UV light and is unique so it tells us exactly where the product was stolen from. It acts as a genuine deterrent for offenders and for people who offer a market for stolen products.”

PCSOs who have been handing out kits on the designated streets are already reporting ‘a massive decrease’ in burglaries in the area.

Security...It’s in our DNA!

Thousands of residents across Birmingham and Solihull are benefiting from the power of forensic marking as West Midlands Police crackdown on burglary hotspots.

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Surrey’s Spearhead Continues

Officers and local neighbourhood teams from Surrey Police are continuing to distribute SelectaDNA kits to households in hotspot areas as part of Operation Spearhead.

In excess of 30,000 SelectaDNA property marking kits are being handed out as part of a 12-month campaign to reduce burglary.

Detective Inspector Dee Fielding, who is leading the operation, said: “We continue to roll out the kits in identified areas of Surrey and one of our focuses is

in the rural areas of the county. Each of our three boroughs have dedicated officers to identify key areas which we feel would benefit from the kits whilst at the same time engaging with the public to build up relationships and public confidence”.

“We want to reduce our burglary offences in Surrey and my message to would-be burglars is don’t come here to commit crime. If you do and you’ve got stolen property on you we can trace it back to the original owner and prove it’s not yours“.

Officers and local neighbourhood teams from Surrey Police are continuing to distribute SelectaDNA kits to households in hotspot areas as part of Operation Spearhead.

Burglary offences are decreasing across Merseyside following the launch of Operation Castle earlier this year.

The operation was launched in February to reinforce Merseyside Police’s commitment to tackling burglary as a main priority and features the use of SelectaDNA as one of the reduction tactics.

From March-May 2018, a 7.9% decrease in burglary dwelling offences was recorded across the force compared to the same period last year. Since the operation began, more than 450 people have been arrested in connection with burglary offences, and numerous people charged and awaiting further action. There are a further 13 suspects on remand for sentencing or trial.

Across the borough of Sefton, property marking kits have been distributed by police to help reduce burglaries. Superintendent Matt Boyle, who is leading the

operation, said: “These kits are just one method we are employing to tackle burglaries in the area and are one of the most simple and effective ways of protecting your possessions. Property marking puts burglars off because it lets others know the item has been stoln, making it more difficult to sell on. The other advantage is that it makes tracing and returning your stolen property a lot easier for police.”

He added: “A decrease in offences is obviously good news for the communities but it is only the first step. The results so far are encouraging but we will continue to proactively target offenders and put them before the courts.”

Operation Castle Leads To 450 Burglary Offence Arrests

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The Defence Spray Elite is a compact offender marking spray used to deter criminal behaviour. It sprays the offender with an invisible solution of unique synthetic DNA code and UV marker that clings to skin and clothing for days, weeks or even months. The spray contains unique DNA codes that will be registered to JD Sports. Police can use an ultraviolet light to locate marked areas, immediately linking the offender to the crime scene.

A special training course is being run for security staff at JD Sports to ensure the correct use of the spray.

The new security measure is being introduced to deter criminal incidents such as ‘steaming’, where large, organised gangs run into targeted stores, threaten staff with violence then flee with armfuls of stock. Such incidents can have severe detrimental effects on staff and customers who are left shocked and frightened by what they have witnessed.

JD Sports like many other retailers have seen in increase in offenders attempting steaming type incidents and have been looking for additional security methods to deploy in order to deal with these violent offenders. Along with additional training, JD Sports Fashion PLC has further invested in using the Defence Spray Elite to allow selected trained security officers to target offenders in violent offences and increase the chances of a later prosecution

where an initial detention is not possible.

Deploying these methods have already seen some great results. The use of the Defence Spray Elite is likely to further increase the positive outcomes now being achieved so far. Another threat to retailers often happens after hours. Thousands of pounds worth of stock can be stolen by ram raiders in one hit as they reverse their van into a shop’s shutters and then make a quick getaway.

According to the latest British Retail Consortium’s Retail Crime Survey (April 2016 to March 2017), the total direct financial cost of all retail crime in the UK has risen to £700m, an increase of six per cent.

The survey found that the ‘biggest concern’ has come from the growth in violent incidents causing injury to retail employees – with incidents occurring at twice the rate compared to the previous year.

Financially, however, the largest single element of the overall cost of crime to retailers remains shoplifting – which accounts for £500m per year, an increase of 15%.

SelectaDNA Defence and Tagging Sprays are a proven way for police and security personnel to discreetly tag and identify an offender. The sprays can be aimed at suspected criminals without the need for physical intervention.

Elite Protection At JD SportsTrainer and sports fashion retailer JD Sports is set to use the latest SelectaDNA Defence Spray Elite to deter thieves and protect against steaming and shoplifting.

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38.5% Reduction in Moped-Enabled Crime in London

Metropolitan Police figures show that from February to May 2018 there was a 38.5% reduction in the number of times scooters were used to commit crime compared with October 2017 to January 2018.

The deployment of the new SelectaDNA Tagging Spray appears to have been a major factor in this decline, with offenders now realising that the police finally have a method of proving without doubt they were at the scene of the crimes they commit.

The spray can be aimed by officers at moped offenders, marking the bikes, clothing and skin of any riders and passengers with a uniquely-coded but invisible DNA that will provide forensic evidence to link them to a specific crime.

Policing Minister Nick Hurd said: “The Metropolitan Police is working hard to tackle moped crime, which has been falling virtually month-on-month in the capital since its peak in July last year.”

The same DNA spray technology that the Met is using to reduce moped-enabled crime is also being deployed successfully by other police forces across the UK.

Following West Yorkshire Police’s first use of the high tech ‘tagging’ spray, teenager Connor Walker was convicted. Merseyside Police had previously secured two convictions for Connor Gibney and Isaac Senior using the spray.

In May 2018, the spray helped to identify and convict two moped offenders (Abderrahman Hassan and Spencer Duarte) in separate incidents in London. Both offenders were given jail sentences for their crime.

DNA ‘Tagging’ Spray Gets Results

New tactics including the use of a DNA spray to tag offenders have played a major role in the significant reductions in moped-enabled crime in London in the last six months.

Graph supplied by Met Police

The Met’s Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt has also said: “We are prioritising our resources where there is the greatest risk, harm and threat to communities. Moped-enabled crime is a huge priority and we’ve seen significant reductions.”

There are now 13 forces using DNA Tagging and Defence Spray technology:

(Images released by The Met of convicted moped offenders Abderrahman Hassan and Spencer Duarte

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Liverpool Fans Won’t Walk Alone

Police then use a special torch to locate areas of skin and clothing marked with the DNA code, allowing them to immediately identify the offender. This can lead to their arrest and conviction.

The SelectaDNA Defence Spray is already used by many UK Police Forces, including Merseyside Police, who were the first force to use the technology as part of Operation Brookdale, which targeted the antisocial and criminal use of scrambler bikes and mopeds.

Merseyside Police will support security staff at Anfield with the use of the new sprays by conducting mobile checks and scanning offenders in police stations. Special SelectaDNA search dogs have also been trained to sniff out the solution, making it even harder for offenders to get away.

Live On BBC Crimewatch New Shield for Public Order Policing

A new security measure is being introduced at Liverpool Football Club that will protect fans and visitors and keep trouble-makers away on match days and all year round.Security teams at Anfield have had special training and are now carrying the handheld SelectaDNA Defence Spray, an offender marking system that will help deter criminal incidents and personal attacks at the stadium and in surrounding areas.

VSG, one of the UK’s leading security solutions providers, are responsible for the manned guarding and security operation at Anfield Stadium on both match and non-match days.

The DNA Defence Spray comes in a bright orange holster, is completely harmless and can be sprayed by trained police and security guards. Each canister is completely unique.

If an incident was to take place, the offender can be sprayed with the invisible solution that contains a unique synthetic DNA code.

Our Police Liaison Officer Nick Roach recently appeared live on BBC1’s Crimewatch Roadshow to demonstrate the SelectaDNA ‘tagging’ spray and explain to presenter Rav Wilding how increasing numbers of police forces are adopting it across the UK to combat the criminal and anti-social use of mopeds. motorcycles and scrambler Bikes.

Also taking part in the live show was our trained sniffer dog Ronnie, who can sniff out traces of SelectaDNA on items of clothing, which can help police identify offenders.

A new accessory has been introduced to the SelectaDNA Defence Sprays range. The SelectaDNA Defence Spray Shield (developed in partnership with Scorpion Personal Protection) is a lightweight personal protective shield that can be used in conjunction with the SelectaDNA Defence Spray for use in public order policing operations.

The shield offers excellent resistance to impact, thrown objects and liquids. The forearm loop means that both hands are free which allows the user to deploy the Defence Spray mounted in the back of the shield.

NEW

VSG Security Guard

A report from Denmark’s Ministry of Justice officially confirms that SelectaDNA forensic property marking reduces the risk of burglaries by at least 25% when proper deterrent signage is displayed.

The report is based on a trial of more than 6,600 homes in the city of Aarhus and was carried out in association with East Jutland Police.

A total of 6,607 households participated in the trial, running over 16 months from 2016-2017. Of these, 3,382 were randomly selected as ‘test’ houses, while the remaining 3,225 houses were ‘control’ houses.

The test group was asked to use SelectaDNA to mark their household valuables and then display SelectaDNA deterrent warning stickers in their porch, on their windows and on their letterboxes. The stickers warn thieves

of the potential risks associated with committing a house burglary. As a result of this action, the test group reported a 25% reduction in burglary compared to the control group.

Henrik Olsen, SelectaDNA distributor in Denmark said: “Although the official reduction figure is at least 25%, we feel that this figure could actually be as high as 40% as we have since learned that not all the deterrent warning stickers were put up correctly by the test group. As this is an integral part of the process, we feel it would be a fairer reflection if the report stated a 25-40% reduction figure.”

Nevertheless, the police are very pleased with the official result. Helle Kyndesen, Director of East Jutland Police, said: “Everyone knows that it is an unpleasant experience to come back home when there have been uninvited guests. Therefore, it is extremely positive that we now have another tool (SelectaDNA) for preventing burglary.”

A new scheme called RetailDNA has been launched in Sweden which involves more than 180 stores using SelectaDNA Intruder Spray to protect staff, assets and stock. One of the retail chains that trialled the spray found that robbery and burglary decreased by between 50-100% across 30 stores.

The DNA spray can be integrated with an existing alarm system and installed with prominent deterrent warning signage in shop entrances, shop windows, at service counters or in warehouses. If an intruder breaks into the store a sensor is triggered that emits a fine DNA coded spray onto the offender’s skin and clothing. If a robber attempts to steal items when the store is open, a staff member can activate the sensor. Either way, the offender is linked directly to the scene of their crime and can be easily captured and identified by police.

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INTERNATIONAL

Swedish Retail Success

German TV Crew Films in UK A leading German TV production company came to the UK to film with West Yorkshire Police for a documentary they are producing on motorbike-enabled crime. They attended a training session to show officers how to use the SelectaDNA ‘tagging’ spray and then went out on the streets to see the spray in action. They also interviewed PCSO Ken Short who used the spray to catch an offender, which ultimately led to the criminal’s conviction. The documentary will be released later this year.

International News Danish Government Confirms Burglary Reduction Statistics

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2018 SelectaDNA International Distributor Conference

Mick Swindells, who trained our SelectaDNA detection dogs Jazz and Ronnie, put the dogs through their paces in a live demo to show how an offender who had been sprayed with SelectaDNA could be picked out of a police identification line-up. There was also the opportunity to participate in a series of informative workshops; and distributors were introduced to a range of exciting new products and developments by our sales, web development and forensic technology teams.

This is the 4th International Distributor Conference, and follows the 2012, 2014 and 2016 events held at various venues in London. As MD James

Brown summed up proceedings at the end of day two, delegates declared this ‘the most successful and informative conference yet’.

Members & Partnerships

The National Association of Jewellers

Security Institute

Selectamark Security Systems plc is the family-run security company established over 30 years ago which founded, manufactures and distributes the SelectaDNA range of forensic marking products. The company has recently forged some strategic partnerships with business and security sector organisations.

Selectamark is now a member of the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ), the UK’s leading jewellery association. NAJ membership is the mark of professionalism for retailers, trade members, service providers and designers. Selectamark recently attended the NAJ Technology & Security Showcase at the Goldsmiths’ Centre in London to demonstrate our SelectaDNA Intruder Spray that can offer jewellery retailers protection against robberies, break-ins, theft and smash and grab raids.

Selectamark has become a corporate partner of the Security Institute, the UK’s largest membership body for security professionals. As a corporate partner, Selectamark will benefit from support and alliances in a number of different areas in the security sector. Rick Mounfield, chief executive of the Security Institute, said: “I look forward to collaborating on professional development opportunities where security professionals can find out about the remarkable diversity of uses the DNA marking systems can be deployed in. The deterrent effect and the irrefutable evidential value of SelectaDNA is a real benefit in the prevention and detection of so many crimes.”

The Kent countryside was the beautiful location chosen to welcome our distributors from18 countries to the 2018 SelectaDNA International Distributor Conference.

The two-day event took place in May and was hosted at the stunning St Clere Estate at Sevenoaks.

The historical venue, with its fascinating Tudor heritage, proved an inspiring place to share knowledge and best practice with our international distributors, and to showcase new products and solutions.

The SelectaDNA UK team was led by Managing Director James Brown, who encouraged delegates to share experiences from their own countries as well as hearing from keynote speakers including vehicle security consultant Simon Ashton and marine investigator Simon Lofting.

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Reducing Risk with Our Insurance Partners

Selectamark has recently been approved as one of Aviva’s Specialist Partners in both the Property & Motor risk management sectors for its SelectaDNA forensic marking product. We are the only security supplier listed.

An extract from the Aviva website says: “We have a wealth of experience in helping customers to protect their businesses. Not only do we provide insurance, but we provide a vast menu of non-insurance products and services to help prevent accidents and losses occurring.“

“The Aviva Specialist Partners are all well established and proven companies, who we believe will give the customer great quality and value. All our suppliers are well established with a pedigree in the risk management sector.”

Selectamark is an approved security supplier to many leading insurance companies who actively recommend our SelectaDNA security marking & asset management solutions to deter theft and help recover stolen property.

Another insurance partner is SunLife, the largest life insurance provider in the UK for people aged 50+, which offers new private clients a SelectaDNA Home Property Marking Kit when they purchase a policy.

Simon Stanney, general insurance director at SunLife, said: “For our customers – people aged 50 and over – feeling safe in their own home is paramount, so, the thought of someone breaking in and going through their things and taking precious belongings is very distressing.”

“Yes, home insurance protects you financially, but we wanted to be able to provide our customers with emotional protection too. That’s why we decided to work with SelectaDNA. Their DNA marking system is proven to cut down burglary by 83% - and we know that prevention is key to our customers.”

We have also had great feedback from Swinton, one of the largest motorcycle insurers in the UK. They say that the offer of a SelectaDNA Motorbike Kit to existing clients to mark their motorcycle and reduce the chance of theft has been very well received.

To ensure a motorcycle is kept as secure as possible, Swinton advises customers to...

• Mark up: mark your motorcycle with security marking. It’ll put off thieves, and in the unfortunate event your bike is stolen, it will help the police.

• Park up: store your bike out of sight if you can. A garage is ideal, if you have one. Alternatively, make your bike as visible as possible – lots of people walking by will help to deter criminals.

• Lock up: invest in a few different types of locks to immobilise your motorbike.

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Builders Merchants Support DNA Tool Marking

Police in mid Devon have encouraged builders and those with tools to get their equipment DNA marked after a spate of thefts. Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police teamed up with builders merchants Bradfords in Willand, to offer advice and a SelectaDNA marking kit to tackle the problem.

Chris Hayden, branch manager at Bradfords said: “The police got in touch with me about the increase in power-tool thefts, so we spoke about doing something together and marking up tools which I thought was great as some of our customers have been targeted. It’s their livelihoods, they’re all self-employed guys and once they have had their tools taken it prevents them going to work and earning their living. It then affects insurance going forward so it can be quite an issue for them.”

Jewson was also involved in another tool marking initiative at their store in Royston. The event was run by Royston Safer Neighbourhood Team in partnership with Royston First and North Herts District Council. More than 40 local tradespeople had their tools marked and were given alarms and other security products.

Sgt Guy Westwood of Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: “Thefts from vehicles, particularly tools in vans and garages and sheds are a continual problem for us at the moment. The more people can do to protect their property the less likely they are to become a victim of this type of crime. Marking your tools makes them less attractive to thieves and also easier to return if they are stolen and later recovered by police.”

Reuniting Tradespeople With Their ToolsFollowing the recovery of a large haul of stolen power tools in February, Thames Valley Police is appealing for victims to get in touch as part of Operation Appleton, in the hope of reuniting them with their stolen equipment. More than 2,000 power tools were recovered including power drills, routers and impact drivers. Police have no way of knowing who these tools belong to, but for the fact that a number of hand tools were found with forensic marking on them. This highlights the importance of marking property to increase the chances of the real owners getting their property back.

Devon & Cornwall Police also ran a successful tool marking session involving another leading builders merchants, Jewson. Thousands of tools belonging to tradespeople in Exeter were marked with SelectaDNA to protect them from theft. Jewson was happy to support the worthwhile initiative on social media.

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Standing Out Against Crime

We have showcased our latest security solutions and explained to delegates how forensic marking can help reduce acquisitive crime. We have also highlighted some of the more unusual items we can security mark including defibrillators, ATMs, tractors, post boxes, waste bales, containers and trucks.

The 2018 International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) awards were highly contested, with trophies presented to individuals and companies who achieved excellence in their battle to prevent vehicle crime.

This year’s Selectamark award was presented to Inspector Paul Sullivan of West Yorkshire Police for introducing the innovative SelectaDNA ‘tagging’ spray to prevent anti-social, theft and criminal use of motorcycles, mopeds and scooters including scrambler and off- road bikes.

Paul was the driving force behind Operation Matrix which enabled West Yorkshire Police officers and PCSOs to use the spray to target criminals, which has subsequently led to not only a significant reduction in crime in West Yorkshire (down 33%) but also convictions of offenders who would otherwise have not been identifiable.

Another winner on the night was the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Venice team. Insp Jim Corbett accepted the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) award on behalf of his team, which is using SelectaDNA tagging spray as one of their main tactics to target moped-enabled crime in London.

The fourth annual Cycle Crime Conference, hosted by BikeRegister, the national cycle database, took place in Birmingham recently.

BikeRegister is the bike security brand which is owned and managed by Selectamark.

The theme for this year’s conference was ‘More Than Just The Theft of Pedal Cycles’ with speakers highlighting

innovative partnership working to tackle bike crime across the UK, as well as the numerous cycle crime reduction and bike marking initiatives being undertaken nationally.

A highlight of the conference was the annual awards which paid tribute to the hard work carried out by police forces and partners using BikeRegister to fight bike crime.

SelectaDNA has recently appeared at a wide range of high profile conferences and exhibitions including IFSEC, IAATI, the Commercial Vehicle Show and the RISCAuthority Seminar.

Images: IFSEC, RISCAuthority Seminar, Commercial Vehicle Show

Inspector Paul Sullivan and Inspector Jim Corbett receive their awards.

2018 Cycle Crime Conference & Awards

Watch our Conference video at www.cyclecrimeconference.com

Vehicle Crime: IAATI’s Worthy Award Winners

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Cashless parking meters and trail cameras that detect the movement of animals at six Wildlife Trust sites across Surrey are being protected with SelectaDNA. Jenny Hooper from the Trust said that forensic marking and deterrent warning stickers are being applied to the valuable equipment to deter theft and vandalism.

Keeping Wildlife Sites Safe

Job Done: Plant Protected

In our last Newsletter (Issue 21), we reported that J Coffey Plant Hire Division (JCP) were about to start using SelectaDNA to mark numerous items of plant equipment to prevent loss and theft.

Tim Rayner, Fleet & Compliance Manager at JCP confirms that they have now used SelectaDNA to identify 40 items of large plant equipment, 70 vehicles, 5,000 tools and 20,000 framework items.

Mr Rayner said: “J Coffey looked at other methods of marking plant, vehicles and equipment however the SelectaDNA kits contain UV DNA and microdots which provides a twofold way of recovering Items. We would recommend SelectaDNA as we have found it’s a really good product and it does exactly what we want it to do.”

Marine Marking

PCSO Paul Mayhew from Milford Haven NPT has carried out a series of successful boat marking sessions at Milford Marina in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. He has helped local boat owners mark various marine items with SelectaDNA including telephones, fish finders, chart plotters, laptops and dinghies.

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Selectamark Security Systems plc, 1 Locks Court, 429 Crofton Road, Locksbottom, Kent, BR6 8NL.

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 DA0384/1

For more information visit

www.selectadna.co.ukemailsales@selectamark.co.ukor contact +44 (0)1689 860757

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

As The Clocks Go Back, Homes Need Protecting

The latest Crime Survey released by The Office of National Statistics in July 2018 shows burglary is worryingly on the rise in many areas of the UK.

We know that burglaries and thefts traditionally rise as the clocks go back and darker nights draw in, so it’s vital that householders don’t get complacent or lax with their home security.

Our Police and Insurance preferred products, which are supported by Crimestoppers, will help you fight crime within your community. Each kit includes lifetime registration on our secure database, which means there is no annual licence fee for residents and no ongoing costs after you have distributed the kits.

Protecting valuables with SelectaDNA forensic marking is proven to reduce burglary by up to 83% in Police trials. The unique DNA coding with microdot technology not only reduces burglaries and theft but also enables police to link criminals to crime scenes and secure convictions.

Each kit can be used to mark household goods and valuables such as flatscreen TVs, iPads, laptops, jewellery, art and mobile phones.

We are happy to supply SelectaDNA kits at bulk pricing to Police. Please contact us to discuss the details of your proposed scheme at sales@selectamark.co.uk or on 01689 860757.

We also offer street signs to customers purchasing bulk quantities of SelectaDNA kits for schemes led by Police, Community Safety Partnerships, Neighbourhood Watch and Housing Associations.

To read our news stories go to www.selectadna.co.uk/news

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