By Mandy Oakham
Five-hundred Geelong homes will trial new technology to fight crime, according to police.
Police were door-knocking homes in areas with high crime rates to participate in the trial from 1 September, Superintendent Craig Gillard said.
The trial would supply a free kit with a clear “DNA” liquid to apply on as many as 50 valuable items, he said.
Items marked with the liquid would be registered with police for identification if recovered after a theft.
Supt Gillard said the liquid, manufactured in the Netherlands, contained a unique, synthetic DNA code.
Police would use a UV lamp to identify the presence of the liquid, he said, with the DNA code identifying the registered owner.
Police hoped the technology would help deter thefts, Supt Gillard said.
His superiors, including Police Minister Lisa Neville, announced the trial to the media last month after he discovered the technology while travelling to the UK and the USA on a Churchill Fellowship two years ago.
“As I talked to my colleagues in these countries I learnt how widespread this technology was, and then having read the evaluation reports I knew that this technology was having a real impact on lowering crime rates and I thought we really need to try this out in Australia,” Supt Gillard said.
“I’m always ready to try new things because, when it comes to crime prevention, if you keep on doing the same things you keep having the same results.
“This pilot represents 18 months of hard work getting it up but if we get the results I am expecting, then this will be a very exciting development in reducing crime rates locally.
“There are going to be a lot of eyes on the results of this pilot so we are all going to be working very hard to make it a success.”
