Coventry |
| Scheme: |
Property coding |
| Date of Launch: |
October 2004 |
| Where was it introduced: |
Homes |
“Police believe the reason
behind the drop in crime is the SmartWater project”
Coventry Observer, 10/02/05
Click each headline to view the full PDF of the article
Launched in October 2004 and funded by the Government’s New
Deal for Communities (NDC) scheme, SmartWater kits were issued to
residents in the Wood End, Henley Green, Manor Farm, and Deedmore
areas of Coventry following a string of burglaries. The consequences
of the campaign were instant and powerful; police figures confirming
a 76% reduction in burglary. Just seven incidents were reported
in December 2004, compared to 26 offences during the same month
in 2003 – all seven reports coming from houses without SmartWater.
In addition to the SmartWater scheme, NDC also made an additional
£10,000 available to cover police overtime, ensuring strong
officer visibility during December - traditionally a time when burglary
is on the rise, due to the Christmas period. Because of the ongoing
success of the campaign, 750 ultra-violet key fob torches were issued
to police officers in February 2005 to assist with the detection
of SmartWater, permitting on-the-spot checks of suspect thieves.
"Burglary has fallen in the north
east of the city thanks to this pioneering anti-crime initiative."
Coventry Observer, 10/02/05
"The area has suffered in recent
years with problems of crime and anti-social behaviour, and
these recent statistics indicate that we could be seeing a
turn in trends."
Inspector Rick Burgess, Foleshill
and Wood End Sector
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