Waikato's police chief knew more than a decade ago there was a way to combat the burglary and drug trades. This week he unveiled the technology and framework to help make it happen.
It was in the mid 90s when Allan Boreham was a detective senior sergeant working in Auckland that the germ of an idea first began. Fifteen years on and standing before Waikato and New Zealand business and organisation leaders at Hamilton City Council on Tuesday, he launched Operation SNAP – Serial Number Action Group.
Mr Boreham, who is now a superintendent and Waikato police district commander, said the scheme meant members of the public could go to the SNAP website, register and load the serial numbers of their property which was connected to the national police database.
"On average 17 large plasma televisions are stolen in Hamilton each week and often when we recover this property we will end up giving it back to (burglars) because we don't know who the owner of the property is," he said.
With SNAP, police can identify stolen property, determine who stole it, secure a conviction and return the property to its owner.
Trade Me was also on board and this week's launch coincided with it starting a SNAP promotional campaign on its home page.
Spokesman Mike O'Donnell said a link would also pop up taking buyers directly to the SNAP website once they had completed their transaction. It would also provide information on its help page.
Acting New Zealand Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Player applauded Mr Boreham's drive and enthusiasm for getting Operation SNAP off the ground, about 15 years from when he first floated the idea.
He praised Gallaghers, Datacom, BNZ, ASB, Trade Me, SelectaDNA, Crimestoppers, the Education Ministry and Hamilton City Council for getting on board and hoped other businesses and organisations would follow in the future.
SelectaDNA director David Morrissey said people with the company's marking products on their gear could also tick a box on the SNAP website to keep track of it if it were stolen. The markers become visible under ultra violet light.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said the city's rising burglary rate was unacceptable. Stealing stuff "was too easy and turning it into cash is too easy" but Mr Simcock said SNAP would help combat that trade.
Visit the SNAP website at www.snap.org.nz
FACT FILE
SNAP is a community partnership designed to reduce property offending.
SNAP uses warning stickers to deter theft of property; provides second hand dealers with the ability to check automatically if property has been lost or stolen; and educates what and where serial numbers are and how to personally mark property
Back to 2010 News Stories
