SLTPD uses new technology to thwart property crimes

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is starting to use a new technology — essentially DNA for property — to assist in combating property theft.

The technology is called Anti-Theft Dots. Applications of this technology include a special substance that can withstand extreme elements including salt water and temperatures in excess of 2,000 degrees. Suspended inside this special substance are thousands of microscopic dots which are smaller than a grain of sand. Each dot has a unique PIN, identifying the property owner.

The substance may be applied to all types of property, from bikes, electronics, tools, equipment, metals, copper and more. The user applies the substance to her valuables and registers the PIN in the Law Enforcement National Recovery Database.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has been equipped with scanning tools to determine if the property has been marked with this substance. If it is determined the property is marked, a special digital reader is applied to the substance so law enforcement can read the PIN on the microscopic dots. That PIN is entered into the Law Enforcement National Recovery Database, allowing law enforcement agencies to retrieve ownership in real time.

Officers will supplying the dots to cyclists at the Bijou Bike Park opening on Sept. 19. After that date the department plans to initiate a campaign to reduce property theft in the city by working with businesses, public works, utilities, and the school district.