Smartwater Scheme Reaches 50,000 Milestone in Nottingham

The Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership (CDP) have treated their 50,000th home in Nottingham with SmartWater as part of an ongoing effort to drive down burglaries.

The substance was first introduced into Nottingham homes in 2001 and since 2006 it has been a central part of the Nottingham CDP's neighbourhood anti-crime Week of Action programmes. The official milestone was reached at a house in Heathfield, Basford, as part of the Basford Week of Action.

SmartWater works by assigning valuable items with a forensic signature which makes them uniquely identifiable. Once applied the liquid is virtually impossible to remove and can only be seen using a special UV light. SmartWater acts as a major deterrent to thieves looking to sell on stolen goods because it greatly increases the chances of detection and subsequent arrest by the police.

Mary Mayers, 88, was given SmartWater in 2008 after thieves broke into her home and stole her husband's war medals just months after he died. She said: "I think it's a very good idea. If you have lost anything precious there's a possibility it could be traced."

In 2009 burglaries across Nottingham fell by 20%, whilst figures have also revealed a sharp fall in repeat victimization as a result of the SmartWater project. Nationally, the level of repeat victimization for burglary is 25%, but in Nottingham that has fallen to just 1% amongst homes protected by SmartWater.

Alan Given, Chief Executive at the Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership said: "Over the years the uptake of SmartWater by the residents of the city has been excellent and personal recommendations have ensured there is constant demand for it.

"Crime continues to fall in the city and the ever-expanding SmartWater footprint that stretches across the city has been pivotal in the huge reductions in burglary. We will continue to work with local people to ensure these reductions continue."

Phil Cleary, Chief Executive of SmartWater, said: "Nottingham's SmartWater scheme is a model example of what can be achieved in terms of crime reduction, as well as convicting persistent offenders and tackling the fear of crime amongst the most vulnerable. Nationally there are more than 1 million SmartWater users and awareness of SmartWater is continuing to grow, particularly amongst criminals, who will avoid it at all costs."