In face to face interviews with 101 offenders, the liquid that sprays burglars with a DNA code that lasts for months was viewed as most effective in deterring experienced criminals, said researchers.
The study led by Martin Gill, Professor of Criminology at Leicester University, was carried out by the university’s spin-out company Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International.
Said Gill: “According to our sample, SmartWater provided a strong projected deterrent value in that 74 per cent of the offenders interviewed reported that they would in the future be put off from breaking into a building with a SmartWater poster/sign displayed.”
He said that while property marking in general acts as a reasonable deterrent, the combination of forensic products used by SmartWater “increases the deterrent factor substantially.
South Yorkshire Police, who assisted with the report, has used SmartWater in covert operations to trap car thieves, securing 24 criminal convictions. In Doncaster, the technology is used in 15000 homes and in all 117 sites run by Doncaster Education Authority.
When scored out of ten by the respondents in regard to deterrent value, it had the highest mean average score (8.3 out of 10).
Other mean average results were:
High visibility police patrols (7.4)
Ink-dye tags (7.2)
Access control systems (6.9)
Window grills (6.7)
CCTV (6.2)
Burglar/intruder alarms (6.0)
Cased merchandise (5.9)
Electronic tagging (5.0)
Security guards/store detectives (4.9)
Property marking (4.8)
Mirrors (3.9)
Perimeter fencing (3.8)
Contact Perpetuity Group for more information.
