During The run up to Christmas, Police Community Support Officers of the Rother Valley South Safer Neighbourhood Team have been visiting all the Primary Schools in the SNT area promoting crime prevention over the festive school holidays. The team also marked every piece of attractive school equipment such as laptops, desktop computers, cameras, projectors, telephones, etc, with SmartWater, as well as recording all serial numbers and distinguishing marks onto the immobilise.com database using Hermes portable scanning equipment. This ensures that all the items are forensically tagged and serial number recorded, allowing the speedy return to the rightful owner in the event of loss as well as helping in the detection of crime.
SmartWater is a clear liquid that comprises of a forensically unique code. Once painted onto the surface of the item to be protected, it dries and becomes almost impossible to be seen with the naked eye, but illuminates brilliantly under certain UV light.
The Immobilise.com database is a free to access database that allows members of the public to record items onto it by serial numbers or distinguishing marks. Once items are recorded on the database, Police officers have the ability to check any found item against the database and thereby within minutes establish the correct identity of the rightful owner.
In the new year the team will re visit all the schools and mark any new equipment and then focus their attention onto the secondary schools, as well as offering the service to members of the public in amenities such as supermarkets. – Its that quick and easy to be protected