Home-owners are being urged to protect their possessions with specialist crime-fighting paint.
Forensic marking kits are being made available by Police Scotland in an effort to curb the rate of break-ins and thefts across Tayside.
Each pack contains a bottle of Selecta DNA Forensic solution, which can be brushed onto belongings and vehicles.
The tags are almost impossible to remove and are only detectable under certain ultra-violet light.
Police say each solution contains a unique code which can be used to trace recovered stolen goods back to their rightful owners. As an extra crime prevention measure, the kits contain signs which can be placed near property to deter opportunist crooks.
Funding for the project comes from the Perth and Kinross Community Safety Partnership. Councillor Douglas Pover, who chairs the group, said: “The partnership was happy to help the police forensic marking initiative with some funding.
“It allows householders to take some positive action to protect their property and also helps the police to reunite people with their belongings if they are unfortunate enough to have them stolen.”
He said: “There are very few break-ins to private houses in Perth and Kinross which is good, but we want to keep it that way.”
Perth-based sergeant Amanda Nicolson said: “The use of Selecta DNA forensic marking kits its our latest tactic to help local residents protect their homes and belongings.
“It is hoped that this initiative will be an effective tool, which will help thwart the activities of the criminals who conduct these despicable acts against people’s personal property and make them think twice about committing crimes of dishonesty in Perth and Kinross.”
She said: “Thanks to the funding from Perth and Kinross Community Safety Partnership, we have 40 kits which are available to buy at a reduced price of £20 from Perth Police Station.
“This means people are saving nearly £40 from the recommended retail price. Each kit has in the region of 50 applications, so it goes a long way.”
Sgt Nicolson added: “Although the use of kits does not require any specialist training, we do have a number of local officers who have been trained by Selecta DNA on the most effective use of the kits and they can carry out crime prevention surveys.”
The Selecta kits were trialled in a neighbourhood in Knoxville, Tennessee, last year. Local police said it resulted in a 70% drop in crime.
A recent study showed the number of break-ins and attempted break-ins had dropped from 251 between April and December 2014 to 222 during the same period last year.
