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10 Law Enforcement Technology March 2014 www.officer.com TECH ON PATROL microdots. Because of the nature of microdots, all parts of a vehicle can be sprayed, and the removal of all dots by a thief from any particular part of a vehicle would be time-consuming and impractical. According to Andreas, since that time, Australia has seen a 70 percent reduction in auto theft. CopDots, marketed as "DNA for your property," was launched in the United States in April 2013. The Palm Bay, Florida Police Department was the first agency to adopt CopDots. To date, the technology is being used by approximately 1,000 law enforcement agencies in 9 states, with agencies in 5 more states to have been added by the end of February 2014. The standard household kit costs about $30, is available online at the company's website and at Lowe's Home Improvement stores nationwide. There is no cost to the consumer for registra- tion of their unique identification num- ber on the CopDots database. There is no cost to law enforcement agencies to participate, and a black- light/scanner is provided to the agency for free. The Hemet, Calif. Police Department is one of the more recent agencies to adopt the CopDots system, and the first agency in the state. Captain Robert Webb of the Hemet PD says, "With personnel cuts, agencies are looking for any tool they can use to help deter and solve crime." He indi- cates the residents of Hemet have been receptive. "Hemet has a large senior cit- izen population, and we've been making our presentations primarily in senior citizen neighborhoods. They're actually selling CopDots in their clubhouses and community centers now." Webb says the presentations focus on the deterrent effect of the product, citing the signs and stickers that come with the CopDots kits. The program is still too new, he acknowledges, to know yet if it's having any effect on crime. Andreas says the technology is still new, and success stories are limited. Other microdot property marking companies, such as MicroDot US and MicroTrax have similar systems and databases, and are available to consum- ers and law enforcement agencies in the United States. Representatives from those companies did not reply to requests for interviews; however, further information is available on their websites. It's in the DNA SelectaDNA, a subsidiary of the British property marking/asset identification company, Selectamark, markets a broad range of anti-theft products, including a microdot product. According to the company's website, the SelectaDNA line was launched in 2004. The DNA in the name refers to the range of products which actually contain non-human, "synthetic" DNA. The DNA is suspended in a water- based solution, brushed or sprayed onto property, and fluoresces under ultra-violet light. As with microdots, the customer's unique DNA code is regis- tered in the company's database, and because it's DNA, the unique combina- tions are limitless. Law enforcement can take a miniscule sample, send it to the SelectaDNA lab, and analysis will identify the owner of the property from which the sample came. The solution also comes in a canis- ter which can be mounted at the entry points of buildings or vehicles and trig- gered by a motion sensor or by a panic button to spray intruders. This helps police to positively connect a suspect with a crime location. The solution is purported to stay on clothing and skin for weeks. SelectaDNA is available in many European countries. According to Angela Singleton, the company's press officer, they are in the process of setting up partnerships in the United States, but until that time is unable to service any American clients. Microdot technology has been around since the time between World Wars I and II. It was used during WWII as a tool for delivering classifed messages. Special cameras were used to reduce printed messages to microscopic size, which enabled the message's inconspicuous transport. A CopDots Law Enforcement Detection Kit Photos courtesy of CopDots LET_08-14_CopDots0314.indd 10 2/24/14 10:40 AM