I guess it was just a matter of time before someone thought about using DNA to identify robbers. According to two short articles from the The Telegraph and The Register, a security company based in Wales, U. K., has designed a spray that can mark the skin and the clothes of intruders. The i-powder contained in the spray carries a "uniquely-traceable DNA code" registered to the owner and can be easily detected for several weeks. And it seems to be efficient, with recent trials by several police forces resulting in 100 per cent conviction rates. But are these sprays safe for their owners if they have to give a verbal warning to the intruders before using them? Read more.
First, let's look at the Telegraph.
Police are testing a new weapon against burglars -- a spray that leaves indelible marks on intruders, making it far simpler to catch and convict them.
Each batch of spray has a durable red dye and a powder containing strands of DNA, in effect a "signature" that can irrefutably link a burglar to the scene of the crime. The stain left by the spray cannot be removed from clothes or skin for several days.
These sprays are being built and sold by Redweb Security and here are some pictures of the devices.
This is the hand-held model, the RedWeb Guarda, and it costs £ 49.99 including taxes. Personally, I wouldn't trust such a device. The company says you should give a verbal warning that you're going to use a forensic alarm spray before discharging the spray on them. What would be the reaction of an intruder?
But there is a more expensive model that can be mounted on a wall or on a ceiling, the RedWeb Sentry. It will cost you £ 500, excluding taxes and installation, but it's more discreet (Credit for both pictures: RedWeb Security).
Now, let's look at the Register article.
Many waves are there agitated by the wind, keeping nature fresh, the spray blowing in your face, reeds and rushes waving; ducks by the hundred, all uneasy in the surf, in the raw wind, just ready to rise, and now going off with a clatter and a whistling like riggers straight for Labrador, flying against the stiff gale with reefed wings, or else circling round first, with all their paddles briskly moving, just over the surf, to reconnoitre you before they leave these parts; gulls wheeling overhead, muskrats swimming for dear life, wet and cold, with no fire to warm them by that you know of, their labored homes rising here and there like haystacks; and countless mice and moles and winged titmice along the sunny, windy shore; cranberries tossed on the waves and heaving up on the beach, their little red skiffs beating among the alders;Msuch healthy natural tumult as proves the last day is not yet at hand.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
Redweb supremo Clive Smith explained: "The key feature of our technology is that it irrefutably identifies a criminal with the scence of the crime. Each device containing i-powder is registered either to its owner or a precise location, and the unique DNA code contained within the substance remains detectable for several weeks. In this way, RedWeb presents law enforcement agencies with a weight of forensic evidence to assist in securing a conviction."
Before buying or using one of these 'alarm' systems, you should read this list of Frequently Asked Questions. Some of the answers are really fun.
Can Guarda be used more than once? No, because the DNA in each alarm is unique, it can only be used once. If Guarda was used in a legitimate emergency, RedWeb Security will replace your Guarda for a small fee.
Can I register it to my business so all my employees can use it? Unfortunately no, because a sole individuals information is registered to the unique code and agrees to it's proper operation and use.
If it is registered to me can my spouse or friends use it? See above.
What if it gets on my customers? RedWeb Security recommends that Sentry should not be deployed during opening times.
I would really like to know how many systems will be sold annually in the U.
Sources: Jessica Berry, The Telegraph, July 24, 2005; Lester Haines, The Register, July 25, 2005; and RedWeb Security web site
Related stories can be found in the following categories.
DNA
Forensics
Innovation
Police
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