Operation SNAP

Operation SNAP is a Police driven community partnership designed to reduce property offending.

Iinitially, it is about having simple ways for people to record serial numbers, and unique identifiers, or legitimately purchased (non-stolen) goods for three purposes:

• to enable quick and easy retrieval of serial numbers by owners to report to Police if property is lost or stolen
• to enhance the Police National Intelligence Application (NIA); and
• to recover stolen goods and identify offenders

SNAP will also:

• provide warnings to deter theft of property
• provide second hand dealers with an ability to check automatically if property has been stolen; and
• education on what and where a serial number is and how to personally mark property.

A range of community contributors will be involved and the opportunities for activity are broad; from warning stickers and pamphlets, to DNA forensic marking.

Operation SNAP is supported by: SelectaDNA, BNZ, Gallagher, TradeMe, Datacom, Ministry of Education, Cash Converters, ASB, Hamilton City Council and Crimestoppers.

Beat burglary - Stop the trade in stolen property.  To get involved in SNAP, or learn more, visit the official website www.SNAP.org.nz

BNZ Safer Schools Programme

During the Randwick Park trial the three schools included within the designated boundary suffered no burglary whatsoever.  It was quickly recognised that schools are the heart of the community, and a great channel to disseminate information and educate communities.  This led to collaboration with likeminded organizations, and from this the Safer Schools Programme was born.

The Safer Schools Programme aims to reduce burglary rates in schools.  Using the SelectaDNA product and highly visible warning stickers, these educational facilities become a “No-Go-Zone” for thieves.

Safer Schools is funded by Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) and operates in partnership with the New Zealand Police under Operation SNAP. With collaboration from both Crimestoppers and the Ministry of Education, the programme has been running since August 2010.
This channel provides the BNZ a platform whereby Store Managers attend stores at a local level and engage with the community for a common good.  The school benefits from a free SelectaDNA kit and this is associated with direct media attention around school burglary issues.  The resulting crime reduction is a win for all stakeholders.

Since that time the programme has been progressively rolled out into geographically boundaried areas, and to date there are over 600 schools now protected with SelectaDNA.  In Rotorua, the first district to receive the kits, a 45% reduction in burglary was recorded in five months from its introduction in December 2009.

Waikato Police recovered a computer that had been stolen from a local school and was able, not only return the property to the school (recovering the students saved work), but also confirm the item as being stolen and the offender having no rightful possession – all too often Police believe items to be stolen but without proof they cannot remove the items from the alleged offender.

A standard School Kit as provided under the BNZ Safer Schools Programme includes the following:

• 1 x SelectaDNA Property Marking Kit
• 5 x A5 Window Warning Stickers
• 2 x A4 Metal Signs
• 1 x CD containing instructions, newsletter inclusion piece and a suggested Lesson Plan for students.

News articles from the Safer Schools Roll Out to date:

Laptop found in P-Lab

Schools to get crimebusting DNA kits

Forensic Tool hits Bay of Plenty

Stopping burglary in Waitakere Schools