Council to pay £2,000 to combat burglars

FRODSHAM Town Council is to contribute £2,000 towards the cost of introducing “Operation Shield” in the town – a police initiative to deter burglars and other offenders.
But the council was sharply divided on the issue and chairman Cllr Mark Warren (pictured) had to use his casting vote to push the decision through.
Operation Shield is Cheshire Police’s unique DNA marking system that protects homes and businesses by reducing burglary opportunities, deterring offenders and identifying and recovering stolen property.
It works using a unique DNA liquid which contains an individual code to mark property which if stolen can be traced back to you. It is barely visible and is extremely difficult to remove.
All offenders arrested by Cheshire Police are scanned to see if there are traces of the liquid on them.
Cheshire West and Chester Council and Weaver Vale Housing Trust have also pledged £2,000 towards the cost of expanding Operation Shield to Frodsham.
It is already in use in a number of burglary hotspots across Cheshire.
The monthly meeting of the council was told an Operation Shield kit, enabling  householders to mark their property themselves, costs £10.  It was suggested that older residents who received the Town Council’s £10 Christmas gift vouchers could use them to buy kits if they wished.
Cllr Mallie Poulton said the council should contribute to the scheme. It was  a “fantastic” idea  that would make people feel safer.
But Cllr Frank Pennington, while he was not against what the police were trying to do, did not think the council should have to pay. The council tax payers would be having to pay twice, he said.
There was general opposition to the idea of expecting Over 70s to use their Christmas voucher money to buy a kit, although they could do so if they wished. Councillors were also concerned about how they would identify the people most in need of the kits.
But Cllr Linda Brown proposed the council should match the £2,000 promised by CWaC and Weaver Housing. The police would know the areas most at risk, she said, and could decide who the kits should be supplied to.
With a number of councillors abstaining, the council was split equally and the chairman used his casting vote to approve the payment.
Operation Shield is said to have significantly reduced burglaries in areas where it has been used.