The Smart Way to Deter Crime

By Michael Atcheson

Most cases of domestic burglary are intra-community, the majority of victims are usually from vulnerable neighbourhoods and the majority of offenders are usually from vulnerable neighbourhoods. But local police are to use a combination of ‘smart water’ products in a new crime prevention strategy which will hopefully deter burglars and those who would purchase stolen property. The problem seems to be that even if police find property in unusual circumstances they have great difficulty in actually proving if the property is stolen if they cannot identify the ‘true’ owner. If the police cannot identify that property is stolen then proving that a crime has taken place will always be difficult.

Smart water technology has now identified a system modelled on D.N.A. profiling which gives each mixture a unique substance which contains small laser etched particles with a nine figure identification number which shows up clearly under ultra violet light.
The solution is painted onto your property (and this can be basically anything) and it is claimed that no two liquids are the same. It can be argued that the liquid is your own individual property finger print which will place a suspect at the scene of a crime, check if goods have been stolen and trace registered owners of property.

Already police forces on the mainland are claiming to have had success in identifying stolen property and successfully prosecuting burglars who have been contaminated with the liquid. A three year Smart Water scheme which will be jointly funded by the PSNI and the Northern Ireland Office was recently launched during October in Northern Ireland. Inspector Philip McCullough of PSNI’s Crime Prevention Branch said, “over 5000 homes will receive Smart Water. Each house will have its own equivalent to a finger print which makes identifying property simple. The message I am giving is clear, police will be able to quickly establish the rightful owners of property which has been marked with the product. Anyone in possession of stolen property will be caught and convicted.”

The jury is still out on the achievement of Smart Water but early reports of the success of Smart Water products on the mainland in identifying stolen property and reducing the incidents of burglary in ‘high risk’ areas are to be welcomed.

But I have two immediate concerns. Only small pilot schemes have been put in place both in Britain and Northern Ireland in ‘high risk’ areas and the cost of this (over the short term) has been covered by local government or other sources. The cost to the householder in these schemes (areas in high risk of burglary) has been nil but if Smart Water is to be made available to all house holders then there will be a cost and that cost will eventually end up on the doorstep of the house holder, who, if all reports are correct, will be from a low income family. Also if Smart Water is going to be used by the police and the courts as ‘forensic’ evidence in the conviction of offenders then we need to make sure that the correct procedures are in place for the control and use of the smart water substance and that there is no room for misuse or error which could lead to wrongful conviction.

The views expressed by our contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect that of the editorial committee.

Back to Contents