Tradespeople in Crawley are being invited to protect their equipment against theft at a free upcoming event. The Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, in partnership with Travis Perkins, is offering free forensic DNA marking kits to help secure tools and deter criminals.
The event will take place on Thursday 14 May 2026 at the Travis Perkins branch on Crawley Road in Faygate. From 7:30am to 4pm, officers from the Crawley and Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Policing Team will be on-site to assist workers in marking their gear.
The SelectaDNA kits use an invisible forensic solution that dries clear. Once applied, the solution can only be identified under ultraviolet light and through specialist microscopes. Each kit provides a unique DNA code registered to the owner, making it significantly harder for stolen equipment to be sold on in re-seller markets.
This initiative is part of a larger effort to address the high rate of tool theft across the United Kingdom. With national reports showing over 26,000 tool thefts in 2025 alone, and the majority of stolen items never recovered, these kits are intended to provide an extra layer of security for small businesses.
A total of 1,000 kits are being distributed across the county, with each kit capable of protecting up to 50 individual tools. By registering equipment on the Secure Asset Register, tradespeople can ensure their property is easily identifiable if it is ever recovered by the police.
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