Hyndburn Homes residents get smart » Housing » 24dash.com

Hyndburn Homes is helping its newest residents combat burglary using new technology.

Residents living on the recently built Charter St/Chester St development have been issued with a free bottle of SmartWater, which is the latest tool in the prevention of burglary and property theft.

Wayne Smith from Hyndburn Homes said: Smart water is similar to DNA profiling. The chemically enhanced water is a colourless liquid solution that is dabbed onto valuables. Each bottle contains a unique chemical code and this is registered to the home owner conclusively proving ownership.

The SmartWater was donated to Hyndburn Homes by the Community Safety Partnership. Hyndburn Homes staff work closely with the Partnership and Hyndburn Borough Council and PC Mark Bates is the Partnership Development Officer who arranged for the donation of the SmartWater.

Cllr Brian Roberts, Chair of the Community Safety Partnership said Our organisations continue to work closely together to combat crime and anti social behaviour.

SmartWater is quite revolutionary because it cannot be easily seen by the naked eye and is almost impossible to remove. The liquid glows under ultraviolet light making it easy for us to see. Research from other police forces using the system has shown that domestic burglaries have fallen by anything from 40 to 80 per cent. Its a real deterrent and if thieves see the card in a window which states that the property and its contents are protected by SmartWater is tends to make them think twice.

As well as SmartWater the Partnership is providing a number of burglary protection packs which contain useful information and UV pens and stickers. These will be issued to all new Hyndburn Homes residents.

We will be monitoring the success of both the SmartWater and the UV pens and stickers, said Wayne. If we feel that the system has proved a success we will then look at the feasibility of introducing either or both of these systems across our entire housing stock in the future.