Burglaries down as chemical helps in battle against criminals
CROOKS have confirmed what Doncaster's cops suspected - they don't like SmartWater.
An independent evaluation of the high technology forensic chemical has demonstrated it is the most powerful deterrent compared to traditional ones such as burglar alarms, CCTV and security guards.
A study led by Martin Gill, Professor of Criminology at Leicester University, involving more than 100 experienced criminals found SmartWater came top.
South Yorkshire Police, who assisted with the research, has used SmartWater within covert operations to trap car thieves, securing no fewer than 24 criminal convictions on separate occasions.
At present, 15,000 homes in Doncaster use SmartWater forensic property coding within their homes, while all 117 school sites run by Doncaster Council also use the technology.
The report found that of the 101 offenders interviewed, 91 per cent were aware SmartWater could forensically link them to a crime scene and property with its owner.
And 74 per cent said they would abandon plans to break into a building if a SmartWater warning label was on display.
Mayor Martin Winter, chairman of the Safer Doncaster Partnership, said: "Not only does this evidence reveal that SmartWater is proving to act as a real deterrent to criminals in Doncaster, the results we are seeing show that burglary is down substantially in the areas where SmartWater has been implemented. I continue to urge residents of Doncaster to participate in the SmartWater scheme."
Det Supt Bill Hotchkiss said: "In Doncaster we value the use of SmartWater as a tool to deter criminals and this survey has shown how effective it really is."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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