The Best Guide for the Neston Area

Burglars Beware - SelectaDNA Rolled Out Across Neston Area

Cheshire Police have rolled out Operation Shield across a number of streets in the wider Neston area - including Neston, Little Neston, Willaston, Parkgate, Burton and Ness.

Operation Shield uses SelectaDNA kits to mark personal property such as electricals or jewellery. The gel from the kits has micro dots in it which are unique to each kit. The gel remains on property for up to five years - therefore, if it is stolen and recovered it is easily identifiable. This acts as a deterrent to the thief as they struggle to get rid of marked property due to it being easily identifiable as stolen.

A PCSO applies a SelectaDNA to property in a Neston home.

Sgt Lisa Wilson of Ellesmere Port and Neston CPU said: "We have found Operation Shield is most effective when used in large areas. Areas are identified for Operation Shield if they have been targeted previously or are vulnerable for other reasons.

"All residents in the street are given kits and street signs are put up on the boundary to show the area is protected. Chester LPU have lead the way with this operation and have seen a huge reduction in incidents of burglary."

Neston's Project Rural Matters has recently provided an injection of additional funding to purchase more kits, meaning more homes will be protected.  

Sgt Wilson continued: "The roll-out of Operation Shield is going well. Work has been done in the streets identified and the project has expanded to others. The areas were identified as being the first we would focus on after researching previous incidents or burglaries.

"PCSOs are visiting the residents and offering free property marking kits. Due to the cost, we are unable to offer kits to all properties in the Neston area, but we are hoping to be able to extend the project if funds become available."

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Comments

Andy B

At 13:25 on 2nd January 2019, Andy B commented:

How much do the kits cost? Can they be purchased outside this "operation"?

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Katie Robson

At 13:48 on 2nd January 2019, Katie Robson responded:

If you do a quick internet search for 'home security marking' or similar, you will find various options on sale.

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merrymac

At 21:20 on 5th January 2019, merrymac commented:

Andy and Carrie, For many years I have registered all my "valuables" on a database that the Police use nationally, called IMMOBILISE. See www.immobilise.com. The theory, which I have not had tested, is that if the police ever recover stolen property, they can match descriptions, serial Nos, IMEI etc to the owner registered on Immobilise

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merrymac

At 21:20 on 5th January 2019, merrymac commented:

and IMMOBILISE is FREE to use

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M 6000

At 17:04 on 11th January 2019, M 6000 commented:

I wonder what the advantages of Selecta are over that? FREE sounds good to me with the police, council and all bodies really, being underfunded already ? Maybe 'immobilise falls short where there is no serial number etc involved and the only proof of ownership is a description/photo?

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CO Jones

At 18:01 on 12th January 2019, CO Jones commented:

Are any of them any good for anything? "Act as deterrent"... that has come out of the back of a horse that statement.

the signs such as neighbourhood watch etc serve no purpose whatsoever and if you are unfortunate enough to be broken into, are the Police inferring that these kits will deter people from stealing item because you have a sticker on your front door explaining the watermark? seems optimistic rationale that.

Likewise for the shops being offered the stolen goods to fence or the person being offered items in a pub to purchase?

I don't see any advantage to any of it. Its simply another sticking plaster to try and make folk feel slightly more reassured about the decimation or front line policing.

Get a big dog

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