Residents of a Staffordshire village are taking advantage of a reduced-cost scheme to put SmartWater Technology Ltd's forensic security liquid to work across their area.
Villagers in Stonnall aim to create a “no-go” zone for criminals by widely adopting SmartWater in their homes and highlighting the fact with clear marking to deter would-be thieves from taking the risk of being trapped by the technology.
Uniquely-coded SmartWater marking kits are being offered to residents at a subsidised cost, providing them with enough of the fluid to security mark around 50 to 60 personal items.
Once marked with SmartWater those items will be traceable back to the individual property if they are ever stolen and recovered. The presence of SmartWater will also give the police evidence to use again anyone arrested for the theft.
Police working with the residents believe the widespread use of SmartWater in Stonnall will be a major deterrent to criminals, as well as a source of reassurance to householders, helping them to feel more safe in their homes.
Volunteers have been recruited to assist with the deployment of SmartWater. Each has been vetted and will be carrying identification to ensure householders know they are a legitimate part of the scheme.
Using a rounded risk-management approach, police can also shut down outlets for stolen property by carrying out checks on car boot sales, second hand shops and scrap dealers in their area. Officers equipped with handheld ultraviolet lamps can quickly and easily scan items for the telltale signs of SmartWater.
Staffordshire County Council has also welcomed the Stonnall scheme as an example of how partner agencies can work with communities to increase security and the feeling of safety.
Inspector Jed White, commander of Lichfield and district local policing team, told the Lichfield Mercury: “Research shows that areas where SmartWater has been introduced have seen dramatic reductions in the number of opportunistic thefts and burglaries.
“Offenders quickly realise the chances of being caught are greatly increased because police are checking every item of stolen property recovered for any trace of SmartWater. Every suspect arrested is also screened for traces of the fluid on their clothes and their bodies which would link them to a theft.”
Once an item has been marked with SmartWater the fluid is virtually impossible to remove, even withstanding attempts to remove it with heat, fire and other liquids.
As well as marking kits, SmartWater can be deployed in the form of a fine mist that coats an intruder, their clothing and any tools or bags they are carrying in the individually coded liquid.
There have been more than 1,000 successful convictions in UK courts alone using SmartWater as evidence, with a 100 per cent success rate.