EoW May 2012

News Corporate Corporatenews

DNA technology

in bid to beat the thieves

▲ ▲ Remote technology is a major step forward in beating metal theft

encrypted molecular marking agent that can be linked back to the crime scene. Jacqui Shiel, development manager for ACPO’s Secured by Design initiative, said: “Metal theft is a growing problem which can be very expensive to address, both in the cost of replacing materials taken and in effecting repairs. Early notification of a potential problem is very important in preventing this disruption and identifying those responsible. “PID Systems’ AATTS is an effective weapon in the fight against metal theft because it can be deployed quickly and easily in a wide variety of internal and external locations. It uses the latest technology to provide an adaptable early warning and detection system. “Secured by Design focuses on the prevention of crime within homes and commercial premises. This police initiative also licenses products that meet current security standards or products of a specialist nature that have been independently evaluated.”

A revolutionary, portable alarm system that can film thieves and link them to crimes using DNA technology in remote locations has been hailed by police as a major step towards helping to combat a massive rise in metals theft. The Alarmed and Traceable Technology Solutions System (AATTS), developed by Kilmarnock, Scotland-based PID Systems, is the first purpose-built alarm system for protecting vulnerable properties and locations to be approved and recommended by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The system is wireless and so doesn’t need to be connected to a mains supply and it can be installed quickly and easily. As well as sounding when an intruder is detected, it sends a signal to the owner of the building, to PID Systems and it also captures any attempted theft on video. The vandal-resistant device is used in conjunction with an indelible red ultraviolet (UV) dye, which can only be seen under UV light. It coats intruders with a unique,

There has been a massive rise in metals theft, prompted by a hike in global cost. The price of copper rose from £889-a-tonne in November 2001, to a high of £6,356-a-tonne, recorded last year. According to HM Revenue and Customs, an estimated 10,000 incidents of metal theft every year costs the UK economy more than £5.6billion in lost revenue. Among those hardest hit by copper theft is Network Rail, which saw the number of railway cable thefts rise by 65 per cent, leading to 16,000 lost working hours, between 2009 and 2010, and BT which has seen a 12 per cent rise in cable thefts in the past year. Graham Jones, the MP for Hyndburn, has introduced a private Metal Theft Prevention Bill in the House of Commons that seeks to tighten regulation, including a robust licensing scheme for scrapyards. Separate legislation is to be introduced in Scotland. PID Systems – UK Website : www.pid-systems.co.uk

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EuroWire – May 2012