SmartWater Pilot Project
Project Goal: Several months ago the chief executive officer of SmartWater Inc., a British company, contacted the Police Department about an opportunity to conduct a pilot project in Tallahassee. SmartWater selected Tallahassee because of the city's reputation for embracing new technologies, our low crime rate, and for being a state capital. The proposed pilot project will be fully funded by SmartWater, and will allow the Police Department to determine if the SmartWater strategy is effective in deterring property crime.
SmartWater products are forensically encoded liquids that are used by residents and businesses to mark property that may be stolen during a burglary. In addition, the liquids can be used by police as part of anti-burglary operations. When applied as a property marking system, SmartWater is practically invisible without the use of a black light. It is also very difficult to remove all of the marking. When exposed to a black light the marking will glow a bright yellow. Every bottle of the liquid contains a unique "forensic fingerprint" that is entered into a database along with the name of the property owner using the liquid. When stolen property is recovered, investigators finding the marking will be able to determine the owner.
When investigators use SmartWater as part of anti-burglary operations, covert systems can be installed in a home, commercial building, or inside an automobile to automatically spray an offender who breaks in. If an offender is sprayed, their skin and clothing will glow bright yellow when exposed to a black light. The liquid will be detectable, even after showering and washing, over a period of months. When an offender is identified as having been sprayed with SmartWater, a sample is taken using a specialized technique and the unique coding of the spray allows investigators to clearly show the offender was sprayed at a specific location.
There are four components to the proposed pilot project:
- The Forrest Heights/Holly Hills neighborhood was selected to participate in the pilot project. The neighborhood was selected because they have an association that is actively involved with TPD's Crime Prevention Unit; the burglary rate for the neighborhood has slowly increased over the last two years; and it is large enough (approximately 800 households) to have a valid project evaluation. Members of the neighborhood association have been actively involved with development of the pilot project. On June 10th TPD members and neighborhood residents will go door to door throughout the neighborhood distributing SmartWater household kits for marking property easily stolen during a burglary.
- Members of the Police Department's Burglary/Pawn Shop Unit will work closely with pawnshop owners to ensure they understand how SmartWater can help them avoid receiving stolen property.
- Investigators and forensic specialists will develop standardized protocols for using covert spray systems during anti-burglary operations.
- The Police Department will conduct a highly visible public information campaign about the implementation of SmartWater.
Police forces in many parts of Britain have successfully implemented the SmartWater strategy with jurisdictions reporting significant reductions in property crime. Over a two-year evaluation period, two participating British jurisdictions reported approximately 25% reductions in the number of reported burglaries in targeted areas. This data is based upon the results of an independent evaluation conducted in 2004 by the British firm Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International Limited.
Pilot Project Implementation Team:
Mr. Greg Frost – Project Coordinator
Sgt. Mark Meadows – CID/Burglary Unit
Sgt. Jim Martinez – District Operations
Officer Maria Mercurio – Special Operations/Crime Prevention
Officer Ryan Dunphy – Special Operations/Crime Prevention
Officer John Newland – Public Information Office
Ms. JoAnne Maltese – Forensic Science Unit
For more detailed information about the SmartWater strategy see their corporate website or contact a member of the implementation team.