With a handful of haulage companies, Northamptonshire Police has installed the forensic fingerprinting solution SmartWater into a number of HGVs. It’s to combat organised criminals who target lorries that park-up across the county.
Although the county saw a drop in the number of lorries stolen in 2008, officers want to continue tackling an issue that has serious consequences for haulage companies.
Northamptonshire Police is working with the East Midlands Development Agency and Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited to fund the Trap Trucks which are fitted with the SmartWater Index Spray. Anyone who breaks into a lorry anywhere in the county now faces the prospect of being sprayed with SmartWater.
Force Crime Prevention Manager Mike Franklin, said: “Northamptonshire Police has invested significantly in SmartWater technology in the last year and it is hoped this new initiative will have a positive impact on deterring and catching those criminals that target lorries.
“The central location of Northamptonshire and its road network means it sees a heavy volume of road freight traffic. As a result it is not uncommon for up to 1,000 heavy goods vehicles to be parked up on the roadside in the county every night.
“This fact makes us a very popular target for organised crime groups who travel across the country to steal lorries or goods from them.”
Once an offender is sprayed with SmartWater is remains of the skin and clothes and doesn’t wash off. Although not visible, once it goes under a UV light the solution can be seen.
Not only does Northamptonshire Police see SmartWater as a means to identify offenders and recover stolen property but also as a means to take forward the message that we are committed to reducing the fear of crime in our communities and we will seek out the most effective tools to do so.
As well as the Trap Truck and increased patrols, the force has a lorry trailer emblazoned with words ‘Truckers beware, this is a lorry load theft hotspot’, which is moved around the county to hotspot areas for lorry theft.
Hauliers are also being issued with ‘Is this the Trap Truck?’ stickers and signs will be placed along the county’s roadsides asking the same question in a bid to make offenders stop and think about the possible consequences of their actions.
