Afloat in a sea of seemingly endless petty crime, society is reaching for any reasonable life jacket to protect themselves and their possessions. In St. Landry Parish, one such is Data Dot DNA, a free-enterprise effort to thwart burglars and bandits.

The Parish is the first in the state to use the micro-technology as a crime deterrent, according to Crime Stoppers Coordinator Jimmy Darbonne, who reviewed the program to identify and protect property for the Eunice Kiwanis Club on Thursday.

DataDots are tiny microscopic discs that contain unique information that’s linked to a person’s property.

Darbonne and Sheriff Bobby Guidroz believe the dots program will be a valuable supplement in the continuing law enforcement battle.

As small as a grain of sand, the dots are recognized as being one of the most effective ways of preventing property theft, and play a crucial role in the recovery and return of stolen property, according to the company which provides them.

St. Landry Crime Stoppers receives a portion of the proceeds of any DataDots sold through the Crime Stoppers web site, Darbonne said.

“It’s sad that we have to wonder if our property is going to be there when we get home,” Darbonne noted in commenting on the tide of creeps spreading across the landscape, looking for opportunity to steal.

He explained that DataDots is a theft protection system, assisting in recovering property if or when it is stolen.

“You can’t see the dots with the naked eye. It requires this special light,” he noted, as he held up a flashlight-looking thingy that is used to scan property for the dots’ presence.

The dots, with their unique numbering, are applied by the property owner and are relatively inexpensive considering the value of property they help protect. A kit to do an entire average household of property and belongings costs about $100.

To find out more, go to st.landrycrimestoppers.com and click on the link to the DataDots site.