1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
Spray it again for truck thieves
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
SMARTWATER FORENSIC technology is being trialled by Northamptonshire Police and local hauliers as part of a scheme to catch truck thieves.
In an attempt to reduce freight crime in the region, Northamptonshire Police has secured funding from the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) and Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited for the SmartWater Index Spray device. The hidden spray cannister can be placed in load areas or other locations on the truck or trailer, or within a pallet load. If an offender is sprayed, the dye can be seen on their skin for at least six months and their clothes will be stained forever. SmartWater is only visible under a UV light.
Drivers will normally be made aware of where the spray is fitted to avoid disturbance, says the forces crime prevention manager Mike Franklin.
The police will not reveal which haulage firms are using the system so thieves do not have a prior warning.
"It is not a cheap installation, with a standard cartridge costing approximately £165, but it is an extremely efficient way of bringing offenders to justice," Franklin adds.
The force is the first in the UK to promote the use of SmartWater on lorries, but a manu facturer's spokesman says it has been successfully used to catch car thieves. He suspects it could be rolled out to other forces.
• Northamptonshire Police have secured 050,000 of funding from the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) to install number-plate recognition cameras by 31 March at Brackmills Industrial Estate.