This is the sign that stands on a street corner in Amsterdam. It means: ‘area secured with DNA-spray.’ Apparently, it is not the only one: there are ten more signs like this spread around nearby shopping areas.
The first thing that came into my mind when I saw it: is big brother watching me?
I have been thinking if there is one country on the planet where it is easy to watch and control people; it would have to be the Netherlands. Why? Because it’s small and densely populated with people who are obedient and compliant—even though they would tell you otherwise.
So I came home and did a little search on the web to see what this DNA-spray business was about. There was not much information that I could get my hands on. It makes sense that there is no real information. Why would they make such information public to everyone? So that thieves and rouges can find their way around this new security system?
Or maybe the information out there is IT; there is nothing more to it!
DNA-spray project has been undertaken by the government and the police in the Netherlands (originated in the UK). In case of an incident, once the alarm button is triggered, a certain solution is sprayed (hopefully on the offender!), which clings onto hair, skin, and clothes. Each store has a unique solution, which thus helps link the offender to the crime scene. Traces of this solution can remain on fiber and in the creases of the skin for weeks, which can be detected under UV-light or with forensic analysis.
There are a few blogs on the web that talk about it, but there is mixed information as to how long the solution can remain on the skin: some say weeks, some say a few days.
The company that produces the spray claims that the ‘fear-factor’ is the important deterrent to crime. The flashy signs inform the offenders that they may be sprayed and thus caught more easily than before. The result so far: reduced crime numbers in neighborhoods where signs have been posted.
It all ‘sounds’ nice: reduced crime numbers. Do criminals suddenly change their minds and decide that they will stop stealing? Or do they move into other neighborhoods and continue business as usual? If crime shifts to other neighborhoods, then that would mean either crime rates will increase elsewhere or everybody will install these systems to prevent crime. But then, what happens to the criminals? Do they all get caught in the end and everybody lives happily ever after?
Anyways… At least after reading up on this, I had one happy thought: Big brother was not yet watching me—at least not with DNA-spray! 
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Tags: Amsterdam, Netherlands