New police operation to deter thieves

Cheshire Police has launched a new initiative today to tackle burglary.

Operation Shield allows members of the public and businesses to adopt forensic marking in homes and premises across the county through a unique forensic DNA liquid which links stolen property − and the offender − to the crime scene.

Criminals will also be targeted to ensure that they are aware of how the use of forensic marking will make life difficult for them should they choose to commit crimes in Operation Shield areas.

Operation Shield uses a forensic liquid containing DNA unique to each property. It can be used to mark belongings, allowing it to be returned to the owner no matter where it is recovered from. Offenders committing crime can also find themselves marked with the forensic liquid − which stays on their hair, skin, and clothes and cannot be washed off.

Criminals will not be able to see it in normal light, but police will. Every person arrested in Cheshire will be screened 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.

Operation Shield aims to deter burglars and around 1000 sets of the forensic marketing kits have already been deployed to homes in burglary hotspots across the county.

As part of the campaign Cheshire Police have written to over 350 known offenders to make them aware of the risks to them should they decide to commit crime in an Operation Shield protected area.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said; "We take burglary very seriously in Cheshire and have seen a 15% drop in recorded incidents in the county last year which means 400 less people suffered from this distressing crime.

"Every year we recover items which we struggle to re-unite with their owners simply because we have no way of knowing who they are. With this system your property can be traced back to you quickly and easily even if it is recovered from the other end of the country."

John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said; "Operation Shield will help to continue the work we do to ensure that the people of Cheshire are able to deter criminals and make their homes and properties safer. When the worst does happen then it gives us another tool to apprehend those responsible and re-unite people with their possessions."

Offenders marked by the spray may shower and wash their hair thinking they are free of any traces, but once put under a special ultra violet light police will be able to it. It is then a simple task of removing a sample and checking the DNA code to locate the premises which it is registered to, therefore forensically linking the criminal to the crime.

ACC Roberts added; "This system is a fantastic tool in fighting retail and business crime because of that ability to link offenders to specific crimes. Everyone who is arrested will be put under the UV light as a matter of course to see if they have been in contact with the liquid. My message to criminals in Cheshire is be extremely nervous about committing any crime in an Operation Shield protected area or premises. One spray could put you away."