SmartWater: Every thief’s worst nightmare

Students in the West End have been issued with an all-new high tech paint by the police, that only shows up under UV light.

Laptops, iPods, Tablets and all other valuable items can now be covered in this special, odourless liquid, that is imprinted with a DNA style code.

Clever, eh?

Electronic devices like laptops and games consoles are vital to students

The system, which is called SmartWater, has already been on trial in various parts of the country, mainly being used on houses and cars in vulnerable areas. According to its designers, it has already helped bring about a major reduction in burglaries in these trial areas.

But now police are urging first years at Queen Margaret halls at Glasgow uni to cover their items with the special liquid.

Every student that is taking part in this gets their own ‘uniquely coded’ bottle of the solution, which they then can put on their valuable items. It is virtually impossible to wash out of clothes, and even stays on the skin for weeks at a time.

Thieving most definitely just got harder.

Police can now trace the stolen items back to the owner, by checking the items under UV light. But what is even greater is that the paint also links the criminal with the crime scene. This is by the code within the solution, which provides an “irrefutable forensic link” between the items, the owner, and the thief.

If the hi-tech solution is found on the stolen items, the thieves can then be prosecuted.

Phil Cleary, the SmartWater chief executive, told the ‘Evening Times’ that: “This is the first time that SmartWater has been rolled out on a national scale.

Signs like this will be used to deter thieves

“We are delighted to be partnering with Police Scotland on this project.

“The use of SmartWater has aided hundreds of convictions across the UK and has helped the police to achieve significant reductions in housebreaking.

“Together with Police Scotland we will do everything within our power to deliver similar levels of crime reduction across the extended project areas.”

Areas where SmartWater is used will have signs to tell thieves that there is a high chance of them being caught, according to Chief Inspector Joe McKerns.

He added: “Officers in the local area will also be using UV torches to check for stolen property in second- hand shops, when targeting known offenders and anyone found acting suspiciously.

“SmartWater is a great way of marking your items and making it difficult for criminals to get their hands on them. It also means that if someone is unfortunate enough to be a victim of housebreaking, there’s more of a chance they could get their belongings back.”

And it’s already benefiting Edinburgh Uni. Just last week, a man was arrested after taking a bike marked with the SmartWater technology. The incident occurred last month, just outside the Uni library on George Street.

Edinburgh Uni Library

Police were able to trace the bike and because of SmartWater, a 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with the theft.

It’s like Neighbourhood watch on crack.