Police in Cotmanhay are helping residents protect their homes from thieves - by giving them the chance to coat their belongings with SmartWater.
SmartWater is a forensically coded substance and each batch produced is unique. Every container of SmarWater is registered to a particular homeowner, meaning that property can easily be linked to a specific address. Whats more the invisible liquid can on be seen when an ultraviolet light is shone on it.
Residents have also been given stickers to put in their windows, warning would-be thieves that their property is protected. The scheme has been given a £630 grant from Derbyshire county councillor Brian Lucas’s community fund.
Sgt Doug Neely said: “We are very grateful to Councillor Lucas for donating this money and to Neighbourhood Watch for organising the project and distributing the SmartWater packs among residents. We hope that the use of this substance, which has been proven to deter criminals, will help to reassure residents and make them feel they are more protected.”
Gill Riley, co-ordinator for the Ilkeston and District Neighbourhood Watch Support Group, said: “We recently carried out a similar SmartWater distribution in the Larklands area of Ilkeston, where a local resident suggested the idea to help improve security for her neighbourhood. We are very pleased to also be able to distribute SmartWater in the Cotmanhay area and we hope that this deterrent will provide peace of mind to the local community”