SMARTWATER SELLING LIKE HOTCAKES IN GLOUCESTER
August 30 2006
Police in Gloucester are urging the public to take advantage of technological developments that could help protect their property and catch thieves.
Gloucester Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) is promoting the use of Smartwater, the forensic property coding liquid, which has its own unique type of "DNA" that traces the liquid back to the scene of a crime, helping police to catch criminals and detect crimes like burglary.
Adverts will appear on buses this week, giving a large warning that Smartwater is here, in Gloucester NOW and that Smartwater convicts thieves.
The liquid is on sale at the local police stations, Bearland, Hucclecote, Barton and Quedgeley at a heavily subsidised price to make it more attractive to residents.
Already over 600 residents have purchased a kit and 75 were recently given away to residents by Gloucestershire Constabulary through the local press.
The kits are made up of a registration document and a bottle of liquid that uses microdot technology to contain 10 digit numbers, invisible to the naked eye.
A small amount is painted on the property to be marked which is very difficult to be seen. However, under an ultra violet light, the marking shows and can then be examined under magnification to read the number.
The individual kit is registered to a property with the Smartwater company and stickers are provided to put on the householders windows to warn would be burglars that Smartwater is present.
Police officers in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean have been issued with ultra violet lights so that if they apprehend anyone with thought to be carrying stolen household or office equipment, that equipment can be checked for the presence of Smartwater.
If it is found, closer examination will reveal the individual number within the liquid and a brief telephone call to the Smartwater company will identify where the property was stolen from.
Some second hand shops have also been issued with ultra violet lights to enable them to check property being brought for resale and Gloucester City Council are alerting their market and car boot traders that their goods for sale could also be checked at any time for the presence of Smartwater.
Schools in Gloucestershire have also installed Smartwater to coat high value items such as laptop computers, digital projectors and video cameras.
Detective Inspector Mark Chicken from Gloucester CID, who chairs the CDRP Property Crime Action Group, said: "Other police forces have reported significant reductions in domestic and commercial burglaries as a result of the use of Smartwater and we are hoping for a similar success in Gloucester.
"If property is found with the individual identity from the Smartwater number, then it will link that item with the scene of a crime. Burglary is one of the volume crimes set by the Home Office on CDRPs that has to be reduced in order to meet the local target by March 2008.
"Since 2003/04 we have significantly reduced the number of domestic burglaries and we would like to continue that trend. Penalties for possession of stolen goods include property seizure and imprisonment."
Chair of the CDRP, Derek Cross, added: "Being a victim of a burglary can be traumatic and devastating. Anything we can do to assist in the reduction of burglaries is helpful indeed. Smartwater appears to be one of the tools we can use in the fight against crime and already a number of residents in Gloucester are using it."
The CDRP have written an information card called "Top Tips for Home Security" which is being distributed widely across the city. The reverse of this form explains the benefits of using Smartwater which is easy to use - one small bottle of Smartwater is sufficient to code all your household valuables, bicycle, car radio and shed tools.
For commercial businesses, Smartwater has developed a canister of the liquid that again contains its own "DNA" identity. The canister is installed by registered professionals and is linked to an alarm system. When an intruder triggers off an alarm, the liquid is sprayed over the target sensored area and the intruder is covered in a spray that will show up with ultra violet lighting.
Gloucester police custody suite has recently been refurbished and ultra violet lighting installed in the waiting area.
If an offender has been covered in the otherwise invisible spray, it will be immediately obvious with the use of the UV light. This in turn will link the offender to the scene of the crime.
DI Chicken added: "The use of Smartwater was demonstrated at the CDRP Business Security Exhibition - "Putting Crime Out Of Business" in March and it is certainly impressive.
"The paint will remain on the offender and it is impossible to wash it off. This again will assist with detections of burglaries as the presence of Smartwater on clothing, skin or hair will be very obvious and link to a specific location.
"Anyone thinking of committing a crime in Gloucester should know Smartwater is being used and will link you to crime scenes."
ENDS