Fighting dog theft with forensic science
According to research the number of dogs stolen in the UK has been rising, fuelled by a significant increase in the cost of certain breeds.
Pet Theft Awareness Week (March 14-21) seeks to shine a light on ways to help prevent a crime which continues to cause public anxiety and has been described by the Home Secretary as ‘a serious crime that has to be prevented’.
DNA Protected and the Forensic Dog DNA database is a low-cost crime prevention initiative. It was developed with Gloucestershire Police and is approved by Secured by Design, the official police security initiative for security products that can deter and reduce crime.
DNA Protected makes the forensic DNA profiling technology that has revolutionised the investigation of human crime available to dog owners, delivering an identification system that cannot fail or be removed. Not only can it act as a deterrent to thieves, it is also the most reliable way to prove ownership and so help the police return stolen dogs to their rightful owners.
DNA Protected is being rolled out by a growing number of forces working together with leading Forensic Science Provider Cellmark.
If you would like to learn more about how Cellmark and DNA Protected can support dog theft prevention please visit the DNA Protected website.
Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) is a police owned organisation which delivers a wide range of crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives across the UK. The extensive Police CPI portfolio covers a variety of crime prevention initiatives, of which Secured by Design is the most well-known, with all initiatives designed to keep the public safe from crime and to reduce the demand on the police service.
Secured by Design (SBD) operates an accreditation scheme on behalf of the UK Police Service for products or services that have met recognised security standards. These products or services – which must be capable of deterring or preventing crime - are known as being of a ‘Police Preferred Specification’.
There are many hundreds of companies who produce over 7000 individual attack resistant crime prevention products in more than 30 different categories that have met the exacting Police Preferred Specification. This includes doors, windows, external storage, bicycle and motorcycle security, locks and hardware, asset marking, alarms, CCTV, safes, perimeter security products and many others.
SBD is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK.
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