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SmartWater roll out
Published Monday 6th December 10
The SmartWater scheme, which is used to prevent burglaries, is being rolled out in the Brickhill ward, thanks to funding from local councillors.
The three councillors representing the ward - Cllr Lora Lawman, Cllr Geoff Simmons and Cllr Tim Allebone - are using their ward support funding, which is a sum of money given to councillors to use in their communities, to purchase the kits for residents. Several streets in the ward already use SmartWater and this latest roll out will mean nearly all properties are covered.
SmartWater is a colourless liquid that people can dab onto the surfaces of their valuables. It contains a unique chemical code which is registered to the individual and conclusively proves ownership. It can't easily be seen by the naked eye and is almost impossible to detect - until the police place it under an ultraviolet light when it will glow. The police use SmartWater in undercover operations to catch and convict criminals. It also acts as a powerful deterrent to burglars as they know they can be forensically linked to the scene of a crime.
SmartWater can be used to mark almost anything valuable, from jewellery, electrical items, mobile phones and removable items from cars such as SatNav systems or CD players.
The SmartWater kits will be distributed by the ward councillors on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 December between 4pm-8pm. The councillors will visit homes alongside council officers to demonstrate how to mark property and how to register. Once this is done, should anything marked ever be stolen, it can be traced back to the owner.
Cllr Lawman said: "We are absolutely delighted to continue with the distribution of SmartWater in our ward. Our grateful thanks go also to our county councillor Paul Bell who kindly made a contribution from the Councillors Empowering Fund to assist us. We are committed to supporting our residents at all times and making our ward safer. SmartWater usually retails for something in the region of £29 a kit if bought through Neighbourhood Watch, and we are pleased to distribute as many as we could buy from our joint allowances free of charge to our residents. We continually seek new ways to reach, serve and support our community."