SmartWater’s Fight against Crime
There is undoubtedly a compelling argument for the concept of property marking: one of the common requirements of the criminal justice systems is the need, if convictions are to be secured, for the police to be able to identify the owner of recovered stolen property.
The technology developed by the royal award-winning scientists at SmartWater represents a revolutionary development over traditional property marking systems and can be described as a ‘forensic coding system’ used to protect the whole spectrum of property, from cars to valuable antiques.
SmartWater’s evolution is the direct result of assessing market requirements, including those of the police, and then developing a system which fulfilled certain key parameters. The system had to be easy to apply to all kinds of property, difficult to remove, easy to detect and be supported by robust administrative systems to satisfy the criminal justice system. SmartWater satisfies all these criteria and more.
Each bottle of SmartWater contains a unique forensic code which is dabbed into the nooks and crannies of the valuable item. A clear solution which cures hard, SmartWater is virtually impossible to remove and will withstand significant attack. SmartWater has passed extensive testing by organisations such as the Forensic Science Service, an agency of the Home Office, and Thatcham*.
*Thatcham is the Motor Insurance Industry Test Centre at Thatcham, Berkshire, which grades and accredits security products on behalf of the insurance industry.
The degree of identification provided by SmartWater has been likened to a more robust version of DNA profiling, such is its efficacy; and because the SmartWater chemical formula can be analysed down to billionths of a part, the criminal has to remove every speck before he/she is safe from the police.
By developing a strategic approach, and working closely with the Police across the UK, SmartWater has become well known to the criminal fraternity, not least because of its 100% record in convictions. Having applied the SmartWater solution, all that is required is to display the SmartWater warning labels. SmartWater has become a cornerstone in household and business security and one of the most powerful deterrents in the fight against the common criminal.
The SmartWater Effect: Anti-theft
SmartWater products are now widely used by police throughout the UK as an anti theft system to reduce crimes ranging from car theft to armed robbery. For instance, in Oldham, the Greater Manchester Police experienced a 62% reduction in burglaries, sustained over a 12 month period. West Midlands Police also recently reported a sustained 33 per cent reduction in burglary in an estate that used SmartWater. Additionally, Nottingham Police claims to have reduced repeat victimisation by 95%. SmartWater has direct financial benefits for businesses and consumers as well as the insurance industry, saving thousands of pounds by acting as a deterrent against crime and reducing costly claims.
SmartWater’s Security Solutions
The SmartWater Security System has been designed to protect household property, private and commercial vehicles as well as asset protection within commercial premises. Each bottle of SmartWater contains a unique forensic code, which is assigned to a particular household or a vehicle's registration or V.I.N. - vehicle identification number. The solution is simply painted on. Since March 2000, all Honda motorcycles have been marked with SmartWater and a number of major insurers now offer discounts to vehicle owners that use SmartWater.
The SmartWater Index Spray System is an anti-burglary/anti-intruder device for SME’s, financial institutions and large corporates. The SmartWater Index Spray System is designed to spray intruders with a water-based solution, which contains a unique 'forensic code’. This creates an irrefutable link between the crime scene and the criminal.
Forensic Coding – multiple applications
The police themselves are finding new uses for SmartWater, such as fighting racist attacks. But SmartWater is increasingly used in a wide variety of applications in the commercial arena. For instance, it can be used to create traceability within manufacturing production, of key importance to companies who have health and safety or quality control requirements to fulfill. The problem of counterfeiting is a major issue for well-known brands and the unique forensic qualities of SmartWater means that it can be embedded into materials to prove the authenticity of product. The Rubber and Plastics Research Association (RAPRA) has tested SmartWater, concluding that it is ‘the most important invention for the Rubber and Plastics industry for 20 years’. SmartWater also authenticates memorabilia for many celebrities through its association with Touched by Greatness.
Engineering Solutions
SmartWater has developed forensic additives and solutions that contain information at molecular levels relating to the name of the manufacturer, location of production facility, the production line and even date of production. Applied either as a surface coating or, in the case of polymer-based products; rubber, inks, paints and textiles etc as an additive during the manufacturing phase, it can be widely used either to supplement or replace traditional part marking technology.
Brand Protection and Traceability
The risks of counterfeiting to manufacturers grow daily. It is now apparent that gangs are actually copying traditional anti-counterfeiting measures, such as holograms, in order to ‘validate’ the counterfeit item.
SmartWater’s forensic technology now offers an alternative approach, allowing a manufacturer to incorporate a unique ‘molecular fingerprint’ within their product that can be used to track and identify the true authenticity of the item. Reliable traceability of a product’s provenance is now a reality with SmartWater Brand Protection.
Our revolutionary forensic coding system offers companies a limitless variety of valuable brand control applications. We offer a full support package to manufacturers, including consultancy, technical development and access to our analytical labs.
Accreditations and Awards
Critically, SmartWater is an officially police accredited organisation, and licence holder of the ‘Secured By Design’ mark, which is awarded by ACPO CPI (Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Unit). The company has IS09000:2000 quality assurance accreditation and SmartWater Instant is Thatcham Q tested. SmartWater is also BS7799 approved which is the highest level of data security worldwide and is used by organisations such as M15 and GCHQ. SmartWater Technology Ltd is also a member of The Association of Police and Public Security Suppliers.
The company has also won a number of prestigious awards, including the Prince of Wales Award for Innovation in 1996 and Millennium Product status from the British Design Council, on behalf of the UK Government, as an influential product for the 21st century.
SmartWater’s contribution to crime reduction has been recently acknowledged in a survey of Police Forces (Crime Reduction through Forensic Coding: An Assessment of the SmartWater Strategy in Four Police Forces), a paper produced by Perpetuity Research, a spin-out company of Leicester University which is headed up by Professor Martin Gill.
