By rdnewsNOW Staff

ProtechDNA

Red Deer RCMP and Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre tackle property theft with new technology

Mar 8, 2023 | 1:38 PM

Red Deer RCMP and the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre (CACPC) say they are tackling property theft with a new technology called ProtechDNA, a high-tech forensic adhesive that can be swabbed on all types of property and allow for identification.

Officials say suspended in the adhesives are thousands of tiny, microscopic dots etched with a unique serial number. Property owners set up a free on-line account and link their serial number with their items so if their lost or stolen property is recovered, law enforcement will be able to search the item and obtain their identifying serial number.

“While this solution can be used on virtually any piece of property, our initial focus is on catalytic converters, as this has been an ongoing and expensive theft trend in our community,” said Denise Rambow, Programs & Services with CACPC. “Once applied, the catalytic converter is much more traceable and therefore less desirable to steal. Pairing this new technology with the RCMP’s usual monitoring of local scrap dealers and pawn shops will serve as an added deterrent for thieves.”

They say members of the RCMP will be able to scan stolen items, check for use of ProtechDNA and, once located, can input the unique serial number and cross match it to the owner.

“This is an added tool in our policing toolbox that will assist us in identifying and returning stolen property but also help identify those responsible,” said Corporal Mike Evans from the Youth and Community Action Team with Red Deer RCMP. “We appreciate any assistance the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre and ProtechDNA can provide.”

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The CACPC will be implementing the microdot registry program and the inventory collection. Red Deerians interested in purchasing a $30 kit can visit CACPC’s website. The kits will also be available at the CACPC booth at the Red Deer Home Show this weekend at Westerner Park.

Officials say a window warning sticker is included with the kit to deter criminals. They also note that because a majority of stolen property is sold at pawn shops for quick cash, as added protection, all user inventory is cross matched with pawn shop transactions and other popular second-hand platforms to help identify stolen property and notify law enforcement.

While Red Deer RCMP will be one of the first agencies to launch the program in Canada, they say thousands of other law enforcement agencies throughout the United States currently use this product.