PUPILS at a primary school in Bridport, Dorset, have been busy security-marking their property with SelectaDNA forensic technology after a number of laptops were stolen following a break-in.
Thieves broke into St Catherine’s RC Primary School in Pymore Road on a weekend night and took laptops and other electrical equipment before being disturbed by the school’s alarm.
In order to deter a repeat offence the school has been marking remaining equipment with SelectaDNA, an invisible DNA-style forensic property marking system that makes it easier to trace and recover stolen property.
When an item is marked, the unique DNA code links it to an individual school, allowing Police to identify and return stolen goods.
Headteacher Mrs Veronique Singer said: “It was a number of laptops that were taken, which impacts on the school’s budget if we’ve got to replace them. We have to think about that very carefully because we don’t have money just to spend on new laptops.”
She continued: “It was very disruptive. We couldn’t use the library because we had to wait for the crime scene investigators to come and fingerprint everything to see if they can find the people that stole them. The children are very upset and I’ve got a few children who are frightened to go to sleep in their bed at the moment. The impact is greater than they think.”
PC Scott McGregor from Bridport Town Safer Neighbourhood Team said: “I think this is a despicable crime where the person or people responsible have stooped so low that they break into a school, steal and remove items that benefit local children.”
He added: “There are people from within the Bridport community who will have information about who is responsible. I would expect, as would the community, that they tell us all they know so the property can be returned to the school and the culprits are brought to justice.”
SelectaDNA provides an unbreakable chain of evidence in a court of law and has a 100% conviction rate. If burglars are caught with DNA-marked equipment, there is no denying where it came from as it links them straight back to the scene of their crime.
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