Security product placement does not get much better than a feature in an episode of the ITV police drama The Bill.
Shropshire-based SmartWater Technology Ltd had its range of forensic security products featured in March as the fictional Sun Hill coppers seek to catch a serial armed robber. Pictured is The Bill’s PC Best using an ultraviolet light to seach for traces of SmartWater.
As described on The Bill, SmartWater is a forensic coding system, designed to deter criminals and act as an invaluable aid to police forces. Thanks to its forensic coding system even the slightest trace of SmartWater can be analysed for evidence and has been compared to DNA profiling, as its identification is so efficient that it can be analysed down to a billionth part, the makers report
SmartWater can be painted onto items of value in the home or business, marking it with its forensic coding, or activated through a hidden spray system working with traditional burglar alarms. Once droplets of SmartWater come into contact with a criminal’s skin, clothing or footwear it is almost impossible to completely remove, the makers report. The solution is also virtually undetectable in normal light; however any traces of the liquid will glow yellow under ultraviolet light, as was demonstrated during the programme, SmartWater add. Because of the product’s durability, criminals can often be convicted of a crime long after it has taken place, as its forensic coding provides irrefutable evidence linking a suspect with the crime scene.
What they say
SmartWater Chief Executive, Phil Cleary, said: "Having Smartwater extensively featured on The Bill represents a fantastic achievement for everyone at the company. The programme is known to strive for realism when recreating police procedures and the use of police equipment. Therefore our inclusion clearly shows that SmartWater has become an essential everyday tool in the fight against crime. Because of The Bill’s strong viewing figures, knowledge of SmartWater products has managed to reach a massive number of households in just one evening! As we continue to spread the word of SmartWater’s abilities as a criminal deterrent, we strike fear into criminals across the country and help to bring down crime rates."
SmartWater Technology is joining forces with a number of security companies to make its range of forensic security products directly available to businesses. Previous police initiatives involving SmartWater have produced in Oldham a 62pc reduction in burglary after police issued SmartWater kits to residents living in crime hot spots, while Todmorden in West Yorkshire saw domestic burglaries drop by 84pc.
SmartWater has been deployed by police forces as part of their crime reduction strategies, as well as by major corporations including Tesco, Natwest, and Securicor, but the company is now looking to directly target the SME market. Fifteen Security and alarm companies have already partnered with SmartWater, including Britannic Security Systems, based in Solihull, Intact Electronics from Bolton, and Standfast Security Systems from Bristol. Each of the recruited companies has achieved NACOSS GOLD standards from the National Security Inspectorate and will be introducing their customers to the forensic coding system for the first time. Police forces nationwide are now equipped to detect SmartWater, ensuring that any recovered stolen property that is coded with SmartWater can be identified, checked against the National Security Register – which is maintained to BS 7799 standards, and used by organisations such as MI5 and GCHQ – and returned to the owner.
SmartWater Chief Executive, Phil Cleary, said: "By working with professionals in the security sector we are continuing to spread the word about SmartWater. We are making businesses aware that SmartWater is an entirely new dynamic in security systems because its forensic coding creates a powerful deterrent, yet remains extremely cost effective. Criminals know that they can be caught and convicted, often long after the event, due to the forensic nature of the system. While some potential customers might be introduced to our products for the first time, the local criminal fraternity will have definitely heard of SmartWater and are all too aware of its potential to identify them."
