No bigger than the head of a pin, microscopic identification dots invented by a Utah nurse anesthetist are helping law enforcement agencies make big strides in identifying and recovering stolen property.
The product was recently used in a five-month undercover fencing sting in Seattle, which resulted in the arrests of five people on suspicion of trafficking stolen goods.Using the dots to mark and later identify the property, Seattle police recovered more than $160,000 in stolen goods.
"We didn't really know what part the dots would or would not play, but they ended up being a very significant piece of evidence," said inventor Charles Loving.
The dots are made of archive-quality polyester microfilm. Each contains five rows of six-digit numbers visible only under a microscope.
After the dots are applied to valuable goods, numerical codes unique to each customer are recorded in the archives of Loving's business, Micro Indicia Technologies Inc., based in Stansbury Park.
Loving said a trained technician can mark the valuables in an average home for about $400. The dots are glued and sprinkled to property, some of which are tucked into screw holes or other small crevices.
If the property is stolen, its owners can identify it by the numerical codes on the dots. The dots, which aren't always glued to an item, can cling to a suspect's clothing or auto interior, evidence that can link that suspect to a particular theft.
"They're not perfectly smooth. They act like Velcro hooks. They have a tendency to imbed themselves like little Velcro hooks," Loving explained. "Other than the red-ink bombs they put in bank bags, this is the only product on the market that leaves a trail of evidence."
Loving said he concocted the invention about two years ago while driving a lonesome stretch of highway outside Tucumcari, N.M., on his way home from a vacation in Texas.
"It was running through my mind. What's needed? What's a needed product? Then I thought `Theft is a big problem,' " he said.
Not five minutes later, Loving dreamed up the microscopic dots, he said.
But it took nearly a year for Loving to find a manufacturer to create his invention. Even the research and development departments of Kodak and Fuji couldn't perfect the dots.
Ironically, Loving found the solution in his own back yard. Hybrid Micrographics, based in Utah, makes microfilm equipment for Kodak. Soon afterward, the product was available for market.
The product is sold through distributors and should be available in the Salt Lake area within 45 days, Loving said.
The dots have sold well in the Northwest, and the product is being test marketed in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Pacific Rim companies also are interested in the product.
"I see a need for our product - any time or any place you want to protect your valuables," he said.
The ultimate goal of the product is theft deterrence. Loving predicts that people who deal in stolen goods eventually will become familiar with the technology and refuse to handle products marked with the dots because it's nearly impossible to remove them when they're glued on.
Loving said he believes insurance companies will eventually offer discounts to home and business owners who mark their valuables with the tiny dots since it will be easier for law enforcement and insurance investigators to recover stolen property.
"We feel pretty confident we'll be able to get a discount from the major insurers."