CRIME prevention experts have reached a milestone in the fight against thieves in Doncaster, with the delivery of the 30,000th bottle of a property marking fluid.
The Safer Doncaster Partnership launched one of the country’s largest SmartWater initiatives to reduce domestic burglaries in June 2006 and since then domestic burglaries in the borough have fallen by 15 per cent.
SmartWater is a colorless, odorless liquid which marks any item with a unique chemical formula. Invisible to the eye, it can be applied to valuable property. The liquid glows under an ultra violet light, consequently identifying to police any stolen items and the handlers of the stolen goods.
It is impossible for a thief to remove all traces of it and it only needs a speck of SmartWater to identify the rightful owner. Mexborough resident Mavis Foster received the 30,000th kit.
Doncaster Council director of neighborhoods and communities Jane Miller said “I am really pleased at the impact that SmartWater has had so far in reducing burglaries in Doncaster. The programme is an excellent example of the positive results that partnership working can have. I hope that residents who have not used SmartWater yet will see how the product really can protect their property and purchase their own kit; the results really prove it is worth the investment.”