An innovative crime-cutting scheme which uses an invisible solution to mark expensive farm machinery has reduced rural thefts across North Yorkshire.
The use of the Selecta DNA kits has been so successful that other forces have asked North Yorkshire Police for advice on the implementation of the technology.
Money was obtained last year from the Government’s Safer Streets Fund by the Policing, Fire and Crime Directorate of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority for 8,000 kits.
These were issued to more than 1,500 farms across the county, which was the largest roll-out of the kits in the country.
The marking solution will last at least five years outdoors, and, when analysed, reveals a unique code that links property with its rightful owner.
A report prepared for next week’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel meeting at North Yorkshire Council noted that only three farms which had used the kits had since been targeted by thieves.
In contrast, 72 farms which had not used the kits had have thefts.
North Yorkshire Police has also reported a 30 per cent reduction in quad bike thefts since the scheme started, with a reduction in the theft of high-risk items also noted between July 1 and December 31 last year, compared to 2023.
Each farm was offered up to five kits and warning signs to mark high-risk agricultural vehicles and equipment, including quad bikes, all-terrain vehicles, trailers and tractor GPS devices.
North Yorkshire Police’s rural task force identified repeat victims and hotspot locations, which were visited first before the county-wide roll-out.
The kits were also showcased at high-profile events such as Tractor Fest and the Great Yorkshire Show, as well as livestock auctions and smaller shows.
The report added:
“It was very well received and with each visit or interaction it gave the rural taskforce staff an opportunity to do further target hardening, discuss welfare or other issues that might arise.
“Selecta asked the North Yorkshire rural task force to produce a presentation.
“Following this, other forces have approached North Yorkshire Police asking about how they were able to deliver such a large project and it is now seen as best practice.
“The Safer Street rollout has been greatly received by the farming community.”
As part of the campaign, funding also enabled the purchase of ultraviolet torches and microscopes to identify the Selecta DNA on products.
These were issued to all police traffic teams, operational support teams and in all rural taskforce vehicles.
Training was given to all staff on the use and identification of the kits.
Opal, the national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, identifies North Yorkshire as the number one area across the UK for quad bike thefts and number three for GPS thefts due to its rurality.
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