It sounds like something from a science fiction movie, but the reality of modern crime prevention is being embraced by a Hunter club.
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A DNA marking system has been set up at Beresfield Bowling Club to stop break-ins at the popular watering hole.
An invisible DNA mist will be sprayed from hidden jets on anyone who enters the club if the security alarm system is on.
That unique DNA code will stay on an intruder’s skin and clothing for sevral months after first contact, but will be invisible to the naked eye.
The bandits might escape at first, but if police later identify them as suspects the DNA will link them to the crime scene.
The technology is used more commonly in places like Adelaide and Sydney – the uptake has only just begun in the Hunter.
But in the handful of places that have installed the technology, it has led to as much as a 98 per cent drop in break-ins and a 100 per cent conviction rate.
After two armed robberies in the past 18 months, it’s good to hear that the Beresfield club has embraced the cutting edge crime prevention strategy.
Use of DNA to mark criminals is a useful tool for police to quickly prove guilt in court, but the system is also a deterrent.
Large signs placed in front of Beresfield Bowling Club that warn intruders that they will be sprayed with a unique DNA code would make thieves think twice about the risk versus reward of conducting a heist on the premises.
If the technology makes the club a happier and safer place for staff, who have been threatened by armed men twice since 2013, then that can only be a good thing.
