Saturday - February 12, 2011

Big Brother, Now With Less CFCs

October 2010: In the Netherlands’ port city of Rotterdam, crime is way down, thanks to ... a little scientific innovation. Hoping to reel in the number of robberies, police began dishing out DNA spray to beleaguered restaurants and jewelry stores. The spray, which emits a mist laced with synthetic DNA markers unique to the business’s location when activated by employees, both marks the would-be robber and alerts police that a crime is occurring. The intention is to intimidate crooks, say police.

A sign on the front door of one previously burgled McDonald’s reads: “You Steal, You’re Marked.” Police, who note they haven’t yet made an arrest by using the mist, say such tactics are working, and report a significant decline in crime rates.

The mist, which is now being used in nine countries and coming to the U.S. soon, shows up under ultraviolent light and contains a DNA code that police stations scan for when they bring in criminals. The unique code irrefutably links criminals to the scene of the crime.

“The word DNA spreads fear into even the most hardened criminals,” said Jason Brown, business director of Selectamark, the company that created SelectaDNA Spray.
...
The mist is so fine, it’s unlikely a robber would know he’s been hit. It sinks into the target’s skin and hair where it sits for weeks.

“You can take a shower three times a day, but the DNA stays on,” said Jean-Paul Fafie, the manager at one of several McDonald’s restaurants in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, that had the spray system installed.

The spray, which was developed in 2008, is being used in a series of European countries from Belgium to Hungary. The Bank of New Zealand has just invested in the product and will have all of its branches installed with the spray by next month, Knight said.

Multiple SelectaDNA Spray heads can be fitted at the entry points of premises and on activation emit a burst of SelectaDNA solution onto the offenders. The solution contains a UV tracer and a unique DNA code, linking them irrefutably to the crime scene. The DNA Spray can be armed by a panic button and/or linked to an existing intruder alarm system. As the DNA fear-factor amongst criminals is high, it is likely that sprayed intruders will flee the crime scene before stealing any goods.

Personally, I’m glad criminals are so stupid, because they’ve never heard of UV ink solvent or protective clothing to wear under their own. God forbid that they actually go out and get themselves a black light to check.

Another issue that bugs me ... for street crimes, if somebody is watching the crime happen through the Big Brother network of spy cams, why not just call the cops instead, since the people who are watching usually ARE the cops? If you have to push the button to make the spray go off, you could set the law on them just as easily.

From a merchant’s perspective, I’d want to know “How much for just the signs then?”

Posted by Drew458     on 02/12/2011 at 10:56 AM   
Filed Under: • Crime • High Tech •  
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