ADT launches new DNA theft-detection spray
A new security system using cutting edge liquid technology could significantly reduce theft from businesses traditionally seen by criminals as easy targets, such as pubs, jewellers, convenience stores and service stations.
DNA Guardian, now available in Australia through ADT Security, is an all-in-one high tech crime fighting tool which establishes a forensic link between suspects and specific crime scenes. Similar systems used overseas have reduced theft by 84% and achieved a 100% conviction rate in court.
According to DNA Guardian, their system is achieving similar results locally, having been involved in eliminating armed robberies in businesses which were repeatedly targeted in Adelaide and the Gold Coast.
Installed above a business entry/exit point, the system works by marking suspects with a clear, non-toxic, water based solution containing a unique chemical code, like human DNA, which lasts on the skin for weeks and on clothing or stolen goods for even longer.
Citing a recent study which found offender-marking security systems were more of a deterrent than police patrols, ADT Security Australia Managing Director, Mark Norton, said the real benefit of DNA Guardian lay in its ability to prevent crime.
“By increasing the risk of capture and conviction, DNA Guardian intensifies a criminal’s fear of being caught to the point where they abandon their plans altogether or go in search of a softer target,” Mr Norton said.
How DNA Guardian works
The in-store unit, which contains the solution, is installed above an exit door of a shop by a technician who also provides business owners with simple instructions on how the system works. Importantly, the chemical code used in each DNA Guardian system is unique to the individual store.
When a crime occurs, staff can activate the system by either pressing an under-counter panic button or remote device if working away from the main counter.
As the suspect approaches the exit the solution is released in spray form onto clothing and skin as well as the goods been carried. Capable of spraying up to 15 times each time it is activated, DNA Guardian can be used to mark multiple suspects. The spray is a fine colourless mist and will most likely go unnoticed by the suspect as they flee the scene of the crime.
The solution can last on the skin for up to six weeks, even after showering, and much longer on clothes and stolen items, even if washed.
In addition to the unique chemical code, the solution contains a UV marker which lights up under black light detection. A swab of the suspect’s skin can then be taken and sent for analysis at a specialised laboratory. If the DNA from the swab matches the DNA in the system, the suspect is then placed at the crime scene, which could help police in securing a conviction.