First it got a placement on The Bill – now SmartWater Technology Ltd has had its range of forensic security products featured on Channel 4’s Richard & Judy.
During the 15-minute segment, chat show hosts Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan interviewed SmartWater’s Director of Marketing, Nick Poole, talking at length about the product and its ability to forensically fingerprint property and intruders. Currently used by 95pc of police forces, SmartWater has slashed burglary rates wherever deployed. Judy Finnegan’s arm was then sprayed with SmartWater Index Solution and made to glow under ultra-violet light as she tried in vain to wash it off.
Accompanying Mr Poole was Supt Warren Shadbolt of Sutton Police Force – the product has reduced burglary in Sutton by 27pc despite the area’s already low crime figures. Supt Shadbolt further reiterated the level of support that SmartWater commands amongst UK police forces, describing the product as a "valuable tool" in ongoing crime prevention schemes. Referring to his own experiences with SmartWater, Superintendent Shadbolt spoke of Sutton Police’s successes in reducing burglaries following a property marking initiative, and driving down race crimes by installing SmartWater Index systems in vulnerable locations.
Richard and Judy also pointed to SmartWater’s appearance in a recent episode of ITV1 drama The Bill. SmartWater received the invitation from Richard & Judy following the publication of crime prevention statistics confirming burglary reductions of over 80pc in some ‘SmartWatered’ areas. SmartWater adds that it has long been involved in the running of subsidised community schemes operated by police forces up and down the country. The not-for-profit arm of the company has been specially established to benefit areas hard hit by crime and aid regional police forces, enabling large quantities of SmartWater property coding kits to be distributed by police forces at no cost to the recipient.
As discussed on the programme, SmartWater’s recent crime reduction statistics have included West Yorkshire Police Force reporting an 86pc reduction in domestic burglaries in Todmorden, following the distribution of SmartWater kits to residents in October 2004. This campaign was introduced following the success of a school property marking scheme launched in nearby Calderdale in July 2004, when 108 schools across the district were issued with SmartWater kits as a means of tackling burglaries committed over the summer holidays. The scheme cut break-ins by 69pc, with 17 burglaries committed at school premises across Calderdale in July and August, compared to 55 for the same period in 2003. Also: a 78pc reduction in domestic burglaries in areas of Hartlepool, a 76pc reduction in parts of Coventry, and a 69pc reduction in burglaries in schools across North Liverpool.
SmartWater can be applied as a property marker or activated through a spray system, and once dry it indelibly marks the contact surface with its forensic coding solution. The firm adds that a criminal would have to remove every speck of the forensic coding solution before they would be safe from prosecution – a virtually impossible task, it is claimed. Thieves are all too aware of this, the firm adds.
SmartWater Chief Executive, Phil Cleary, said: "We are delighted to receive this recognition from Richard & Judy and from Channel 4 – this represents a fantastic achievement for everyone at SmartWater. We are consistently achieving dramatic levels of crime reduction wherever SmartWater is deployed and receiving more and more attention as a result. This attention only serves to make criminals even more aware of the powers of SmartWater which will inevitably reduce crime rates still further."
In the hours directly following the programme’s broadcast, the SmartWater website saw a 700pc increase in the level of enquiries, the company reports.
