Burglars are being warned to stay away from one quiet street where proactive residents have teamed up to tackle crime head-on.
A burglary in their cul-de-sac 18 months ago inspired more than half the homeowners in Ramoana Mews, Howick, to get together to protect their property using cutting-edge technology.
Robert Vukich says they found out how they could better protect themselves and their property at a neighbourhood support meeting.
It included a presentation by Graham Zuill, director of SLS Retail Theft Control, on his product SelectaDNA.
Once the gel-like substance is applied to items, its synthetic DNA technology allows the police to trace stolen and recovered property back to its rightful owners.
“We had a local meeting to get everyone on-board and decided to implement it in our street,” Mr Vukich told the Times.
“We want to be proactive and for other people to be aware of it.
“It gives police a tool if a robbery occurs. If the item cannot be identified by a serial number, the DNA strand can trace it back to its owner.”
Mr Zuill says the product has advantages over serial numbers, such as its trace-capability.
“A serial number is often just a sticker that’s easy to remove,” he says. “It’s another deterrent in the scheme of things.”
When the Times visited Ramoana Mews, residents were again taking matters into their own hands.
Mr Vukich and Mark Higson were attaching signs at the top of the street warning criminals that SelectaDNA is now being used in the area.
Inspector Jason Hewett, of Counties Manukau Police, urges other people to get together and do the same thing.
He says: “I think it’s fantastic. Our mission statement is ‘safer communities together’, and we expect the community to play a part in protecting themselves.
“It’s frustrating when police respond to a crime to find members of the community have made it easier for the criminals.
“I highly recommend people take a proactive approach to crime prevention, and use available products to protect themselves and their property.”
Mr Hewett says homeowners should make use of all tools at their disposal to prevent burglary and theft, such as burglar alarms, high-quality locks and lighting, and getting to know the neighbours.
• The police, Manukau City Council and schools have this week launched an initiative called Kura, Safer Schools Together.
SelectaDNA forensic property marking kits are being rolled out to 30 schools across Manurewa.
“The key message of this initiative is that every bit of equipment in our schools is now marked and is no longer a sellable item,” says inspector Alan Shearer, area commander for Counties Manukau Central. “That’s a powerful crime-prevention message.
“We have 16,500 students in Manurewa. We aim to get that positive crime prevention message out to every student’s home.
“Experience tells us that the majority of school burglaries are committed by school-aged children. It’s hoped positive school messages and signage will send a clear message to these youth.”
Ramoana Mews resident Robert Vukich erects the highly visible SelectaDNA signage at the entry point to the neighbourhood.
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